Everyone Loves a Victor
by Relena Mishima
Summary: Sequel to my story 'I Am Not a Victim'. Glimmer and Katniss survived the 74th Games and returned home as Victors, but actions have consequences, and nothing in Panem is without a price.
1. A Day in the Life of

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

** Katniss**

I wake up with the sun, just like every day. All my life I've had to fight to survive, and all my life I've had a partner. In District 12 when I had to fight starvation it was Gale at my side. We partnered together for years, and even though we never got that far ahead, we did what we set out to do: we kept our families fed, clothed and warm. In the Games I partnered with Glimmer, and even if it was uneasy at first and she likes teasing me too much, we worked, and just like my other partnership, we did what we set out to do: we won the Games. And just like my partnership with Gale, we didn't really get ahead.

Yes, I'm Katniss Everdeen, one of the two Victors of the 74th Hunger Games. And yes, as a Victor I live in a mansion in Victor's Village, I have more money than I could ever hope to spend in ten lifetimes, and I'm not required to work or go to school. All that makes for an easy life. Unfortunately, that's also the problem.

My life is the sort of life where it doesn't actually matter if I do anything or not. Sure, if I die the money vanishes, the house is taken away and my family's back in our tiny house in the Seam, penniless and trying not to starve again, but that's setting the bar low. I have to keep breathing. That's it. That's literally all I have to do to keep my family clothed, fed and with a massive roof over their heads.

In a strange sort of way I'm useless, and I honestly have no idea how to deal with that. Ever since my dad died so many years ago I've had to always work, always do everything I possibly could to just stay alive and keep my family that way. Now it's different. I still go out into the woods and hunt, but it's for Gale's sake and for something to do.

Every morning I wake up and go into the woods, but while I do still carry my bow I don't really use it much. I'm there as much because I enjoy it as anything; I walk, I reminisce, I spend time just enjoying nature. In general I manage to burn several hours and wander home for lunch. (Alone. I miss lunch with Madge, even if I had to rely on her pity for food at times.) After lunch I tend to spend time in my greenhouse.

The greenhouse isn't a standard accessory for houses in Victor's Village; mine was built just after I moved into the house. Officially it's to help grow herbs for my mother's healing and apothecary supplies and more than a few flowers for Prim. Unofficially it's the only part of my house that's free of Capitol listening devices and so the only place that was suitable for a secured phone line. I'm sure this phone can call other secure phones somewhere or other, but mine only gets one use: Glimmer and I use it to talk.

I'm not a talkative person by nature, but since Prim was reaped my life's gotten complicated; complicated enough that it really does help to talk to someone. That used to be Gale, but I can't bring myself to discuss a lot of things with him. I haven't really talked about any of what happened at the Capitol, and the problems I have now. I just don't think he'd want to hear about them. He may act sympathetic enough, but really, Gale listening to someone complain about having all this money and not needing to work? Or how I have this huge mansion and feel useless? These just are not the sort of problems Gale can relate to, and no matter how close a friendship we may have I just don't see him managing anything close to what I need here.

Besides, Gale has his own problems. Fighting off starvation may be in the past for me, but it's still his everyday life. And as if that weren't enough he has to face the mines soon; a horror I'm not sure I could handle. Ever since my father died I've had issues with being underground. On the train to the Capitol is was uncomfortable going through a tunnel, but years before we had a school field trip to the mines. I just couldn't handle it; I broke down crying as soon as they took us down the elevator and had to be taken back up to the surface.

Gale doesn't break down like I did, but I know he doesn't like it either. The worst part is he doesn't have to do it. I have more than enough money to support his entire family along with mine and still have piles and piles of money left, but he refuses to take a dime. I understand it's a matter of pride and a matter of not wanting to owe me, but I wish he'd see it from my side at least a bit. But that's not Gale.

Glimmer's problems are generally similar to my own, but while I feel sort of useless, with her it's anger. A lot of it. She hasn't said a lot of specifics (honestly she generally uses the phone just to vent to me) but I get the impression that her homecoming was not exactly warm.

One thing neither of us has talked about is the appointments; Snow's nice safe name for his program of making whores of Victors. Literally. Glimmer and I have no choice in the matter (Snow technically giving us an unthinkable alternative doesn't count) and the start of the appointments is coming soon.

In not very long at all the train will come for the Victory Tour, the exercise of showing Victors off to each and every district. It happens half a year after the Games and exists to remind everyone who's in charge and what they can do, ending in a big celebration in the Capitol. At least that's normally it; this year there's more. Every twenty five years the Games have a Quarter Quell, a Games with new rules to show everyone just how extra specially evil the Capitol can be when it wants to.

This year is year seventy five so we get to be props on stage for President Snow when he unseals the list of this year's horrors. And then after all that fun we get rented out as sex slaves for the night. Well, I hope it's one night, but Snow did say it would be whenever he commanded, so I'm not getting my hopes up for just one night as a Capitol whore.

I blink and look around, suddenly realizing I'm already in the woods; I just zoned out through all of breakfast and my trip here. That sort of thing happens to me more than I'd like to admit when I'm alone. I've never particularly felt the need to have people around, but I always had one or two there. Now that I spend large amounts of time with no one I realize how important having someone around can be. Endless hours alone can get you to do weird things like talk to yourself.

I spend the next few hours strolling through the woods, enjoying being outside (both out of the house and out of the fence) It seems silly, but this lets me pretend for a few hours a day there's no fence keeping us in like livestock, no starvation, no poverty, no Capitol, no Games. It may be just a fantasy, but it keeps me going. Along the way I take time out for some target practice with my bow. Nothing living, that would be wasteful. I don't need the game, and anything I kill now is one less thing to kill with Gale who actually does need the game. So I just pick random objects for targets, just enough to keep myself entertained and my skills sharp.

Eventually the sun's high in the sky and I'm getting hungry so I head back home for lunch. Most of the time my mother is out seeing patients, so I'm alone in the house. I used to eat lunch with Madge in school. Neither of us tended to say much, so you'd think eating alone would be similar. It isn't.

The only upside is that not having missed a meal in almost half a year and having enough food that there's always some leftover has been good for my body. I've grown taller, put on muscle tone, even my breasts have filled out more. I may not match Glimmer's conditioning and certainly don't see ever matching her figure, but I'm a far cry from the half starved Seam rat I was six months ago.

After I finish eating I rinse the plates off and put them in the dishwasher (what an absurd luxury. A year ago I never even dreamed machines like this existed) and check the time. Seeing that it's almost two in the afternoon I head out to the greenhouse. Inside I take out a headset from a hidden panel and insert in into my ear. It's small enough that no one who happens to walk by will see it, but operates like a normal phone. I start watering the plants and wait for my ally against the Capitol to call (we alternate days. Today it's her turn to call me.)

Within a few minutes I hear the headset beeping in my ear and I push a button on it to answer. "Hello." I greet.

"Heya, Katniss." Glimmer replies over the phone. "How you doing?"

"Same as ever. Still the bored goose laying golden eggs. You?"

"Same as always. Prisoner in a district that hates me. Though I got a long cord on this thing, today I think I'll lounge out by the pool while talking. Big changes in District 1, huh?"

"Sounds as fun as here. We really need to talk to other Victors and see what the heck they do all day. Just keeping up skills out of force of habit and playing video games is not exactly much of a life."

It was Glimmer who introduced me to video games. Apparently they're one of the luxuries District 1 makes for the Capitol. They don't have them here in 12, so Glimmer had to send me some. They're a lot more fun than I ever imagined and eat up a lot of my evenings and nights. (Since it doesn't really matter if I go to bed early or not, I've stayed up way late on more than one occasion.)

"Well I know Haymitch drinks and morphling addiction is popular in 6…" I suggest.

"Oh yeah, sign me up."

"There's really nothing there? I know the Academy's out, but could you do something on your own? Start some competing Academy? Maybe take on a student or something?"

"I wish. It was the Academy that started the whole 'Glimmer's Not a Real Victor' campaign. By the time I stepped off the train it was going strong. The crowd had as many hecklers as fans. That was all the proof I needed. At this point anyone who's ever dreamed of volunteering in the Games has been told I'm not an example to follow. The Victor who didn't deserve to win. The Victor that couldn't handle it on her own so had to team up with a loser district. The Victor who no one would be caught dead talking to. Hell, sometimes I barely get service when I go to a store or restaurant. Nobody's going to sign to anything that has my name associated with it. Not here in 1 at least."

It's not the first time we've had this discussion. "There's no way you can work with your parents or anything?"

"Yeah, I know about as much about what they do as you do about your mom. Don't exactly see you being a doctor. Besides, I barely know them. Heck, they don't even live here, they're still at their own place. Not like we were hard up for money, so to them moving is just more pain than anything. And yeah, I love them and they love me, but we've been apart so long we just don't have anything in common, nothing to even talk about. Besides, I doubt they're going to love having a daughter who's always angry and always around the house."

Well at least she admits she's angry a lot.

"I'm telling you, Katniss, you're lucky to have Gale and Prim and Madge around. Makes me wish I'd had some friends. Well, makes me wish there'd been people at the Academy worth being friends with who didn't want to stab me in the back or sleep with me."

"Hey, it's still not that great you know. They all have school for most of the day. And Gale's going to have to start working in the mines soon, that's way worse."

"He still insists on going into the mines? The guy won't just let you pay his way?" I can practically hear Glimmer shaking her head.

"It's not going to happen Glimmer; it's just not Gale to take money like that."

"For what we had to do to get the money and what we're going to have to do to keep it you'd think he could swallow his pride. Especially if it makes you feel better."

"Self reliance is a huge thing here, Glimmer, you have to understand."

"Yeah yeah, so you've said. Still sounds stubborn to me."

"Maybe, but that's just how it is. Chalk it up to another thing we don't really have a say on." I don't really want to argue with her, and Gale's a bit of a sore point for me. He's trying to be understanding, but I haven't told him a lot of what happened, so he has no idea just how much he has to be understanding about.

I honestly don't want to discuss what I have or haven't told Gale with Glimmer so I change the subject. "If you're so unhappy there why not spend time here? It'd be better for both of us I think."

"Oh yeah, they're gonna let me do that. Most of District 1 doesn't even want to talk to me, I don't see them doing me any favors like that."

"Is it up to our Districts or is it up to the Capitol?"

"Hmm, that's actually a good question. If it's up to the Capitol I may have a shot. They love me there after all." I believe this would be the part of the conversation where Glimmer would do this super girlie hair toss and pose. "But then you don't have a pool there do you? I don't know, that's a big downside. A girl has to have her standards after all."

"Glimmer, it snows here in winter! A pool will freeze!"

"So heat it. It costs a fortune, especially if you do it right, get a pool deep enough to dive in and have it good sized, but so what? You're not going to go pleading poverty on me here."

"I'm not putting in a pool, Glimmer! There aren't any in District 12 anywhere! No one even knows how to build them!"

"Oh please, you can get plans from the Capitol. And it's not hard to dig a hole and lay a few pipes. If 12 really is as dirt poor as you say I'm sure people would be lining up for the work."

I shake my head. Sometimes I wonder if she's serious or just says these sorts of things to tease me. She does have a point about the money though. She and I really do have enough to just live every silly idea that comes into our heads. "I'll have to think about it Glimmer."

"Trust me, you'd like a pool. I'm sure Prim would love it. Kids always seem like they do."

"Ok, ok, I said I'll think about it Glimmer. Really though, I gotta go. Gale will be waiting."

"Sure, no problem. Have fun with your boyfriend, Katniss."

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"No boyfriend, no pool, I'm really starting to wonder about you Katniss."

I sigh in exasperation. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Glimmer. Take care."

"You too, Katniss. Later."

I touch the headset's button, ending the connection and carefully put the unit away. No one's ever come in here looking for anything illegal that I know of, but still, can't be too careful. This phone line is blatantly illegal, and give how much Snow already hates me I'm sure if it was found the price would be someone's life.

With the phone secured and the plants all watered I head out for the woods again. I duck under the fence (which is barely ever electrified) and recover my bow from its hiding place. Finally I make my way to Gale's and my meeting spot, where he's already waiting. I try and be quiet, seeing if I can sneak up on him, but when I'm five or so yards away he greets me, not even bothering to turn around. "Hiya, Catnip." How does he always do that?

"Hi Gale."

"How you been Catnip?"

"Same as always. You?"

"Ah yes, the tough life of a Victor."

I try to hold back. I really do. I can imagine what it must be like for Gale. His best friend all of a sudden has money, a huge house, all the things he wants for his own family, and he can't see most of the price. I try to understand his point of view, but it's hard. Mostly because this is about the hundredth time I've had to do this. "Gale, it's not all that it looks like."

"And how would I know that, Katniss? You come back from the Games moody, depressed and it hasn't gone away; it's gotten worse. I just don't get it Katniss. Yeah, the Games were terrible, I saw them. I can't begin to imagine how much worse it must have been to actually live it, but it's over. Now you have the huge house, the piles of money and life is good. So I don't get it Katniss. What is the problem?"

I want to tell Gale, tell him everything; I've wanted to since the day I got back. After all, Gale and I have been partners for years; we've faced everything together. But I just don't know how to say it. Oh hey Gale, by the way, I'm a Capitol Whore and President Snow it my pimp! And that's where this train of thought dies, the same as every time. So I lie. "Gale, I killed people, Glimmer killed a lot of people. We have to go face their families soon, and we have to do it while looking good and letting the Capitol remind everyone even we're just pawns and they're the ones really in charge. If it was you, how would you feel?" Ok, so it's technically true, and it does bother me, but it's tiny compared to the rest.

Gale looks down, wounded. "I'd hate to be paraded around to help the Capitol too. Sorry. I know how much you hate them, especially since the Games. And seeing those families, I'm not sure how I'd deal with it. Except for the Careers none of them deserved to be there; they certainly didn't deserve to die. Sorry, it's just that I see the huge house and the money, and hell, every time I look at you I see how it's obvious you eat well and it's hard, you know?"

"I know Gale, I know. And I'd love to help you out if you'd let me…"

"Katniss, we've been over this. You know the answer."

Yeah, I know the answer. And this conversation basically sums up Gale's and my relationship for the past six months. We stare at this invisible wall between us and neither of us is willing to do what it would take to tear it down.

Gale breaks the awkward silence. "Look, Katniss, let's just drop it, ok? We've had this discussion before, so let's just drop it and move on, ok? Please? I hate arguing like this. It never used to happen. We shouldn't let it happen now either."

"Yeah, you're right. We should get going; the light won't last forever."

**Gale**

Katniss and I move into the woods, hunting, the same as ever. Sometimes it feels like the only thing the god damned Capitol didn't take away. Some days it feels like Katniss never really came back at all. Before the reaping I knew Katniss as well as myself, maybe better. Every look she had I could read her facial expressions, every bit of body language, everything; we could talk without saying a word.

I've never been so close to anyone else who wasn't a blood relative. Now the only time Katniss and I are close anymore is moments like right now: in the woods, hunting. Times when we can't talk for fear of spooking the game, times when there's no Games, no nothing. Just us and the woods.

We move silently, steps perfectly in synch, Katniss just a few feet to my right. We spend the better part of an hour following a game trail before we finally catch sight of it: a deer. I look to Katniss; she's seen it too. With a few quick looks we agree on our plan. Katniss circles to downwind of it, I stay where I am, keeping eyes on the animal. The deer simply minds it own business, eating, totally unaware of our presence. Less than a minute later an arrow streaks out of the bushes, embedding deep into the deer's chest. From where I am it looks like an organ hit, so likely fatal, just not instantly so.

The deer staggers into the bushes and I run after it, arrow ready to fire. Its trail is easy to follow, bright crimson paints a path right to it. I catch up to it after it's made maybe thirty yards. It lies on the ground, dead. Katniss' shot was perfect as always; a kill shot that was almost instantly fatal. My job as tracker (and potential follow up shooter if Katniss didn't finish the job in one shot) done, I call out to my partner. "Hey Catnip, over here! You got him!"

Second later Katniss appears all smiles. Just like old times. "Great, that'll sell for a lot at the Hob."

"Yeah, but we're pretty far out from 12 now. It'll take us most of the afternoon to get back with this thing."

"It's more than enough to call this a good day."

She's right, a deer is a great haul, and since she brought it down clean we won't even lose any value for damage to the pelt or meat. There's enough here to feed my family for days and days, with still enough left to sell for a pretty sum.

I hand my bow and arrow off to Katniss and pick the deer carcass up, putting it across my shoulders to carry. "Need any help?" Katniss asks me.

"Not right now, might later on. It's a long walk." I start back towards the fence, Katniss falling into step next to me. "So you talked to Glimmer lately?"

A little over a month after Katniss got back from the Games she let slip that she and Glimmer talk regularly. I don't know what the big deal is, Victors have phone lines in their houses and everything, but Katniss made me swear not to ever tell anyone or talk about it except here out in the woods. Whatever it's about, it scares Katniss, and that's not something I'm used to seeing.

Katniss talking to someone regularly other than me is another thing I'm not used to. It's not that I mind Katniss and Glimmer talking, nothing like that at all. It's just odd that there's this whole piece of her that I never see. I don't know how to deal with it too well.

Honestly, it seems like there's almost two Katnisses. There's my Catnip: my hunting partner, the girl I knew for most of my life, and then there's Katniss who came back from the Games. At first I figured she was just traumatized by what went on there. I mean, who wouldn't be? So yeah, just crap that'll diminish over time I figured. But it hasn't.

I don't know if I'm jealous of Glimmer or just pissed at the Capitol or what. If I knew who to yell at maybe I'd feel better, but since I don't know what the hell is in Katniss' head anymore I can't even have that. She's so damned moody sometimes, and when she isn't moody she's just depressed. She lives in a huge house, she has piles of money, what the fuck is there to be depressed about? I'd kill for that. Well, ok, she actually did, bad way to put it I guess.

We keep a fast pace back to 12 (My idea. I don't want to carry this thing longer than I have to.) It's a bit before dark when we make it to the Hob (moving the deer under the fence cost us some time.) Once we step into the Hob with that deer there's instant interest; after all, these are rare kills.

As soon as I set the carcass down people are here haggling over the pelt and the meat. Those negotiations go quickly, but the negotiations for all the other parts of the animal take longer. When all is said and done I have a small stack of deer steaks and a pouch full of coins to split with Katniss, assuming she actually takes her share.

"You want to split a bowl of Greasy Sae's soup?" I ask Katniss.

"No, I can't. Dinner's waiting back home. There's plenty for you too you know."

"I don't know, Katniss.."

"Come on Gale, you must be tired from carrying that heavy thing. Think of it as payback for not helping get the deer here."

"Oh all right." I sigh. Sometimes I give in to requests like this, sometimes not. Honestly I'm not that comfortable at Katniss' new house; it just doesn't feel like her, or me for that matter. But we're friends, so I compromise sometimes. "Oh, I still have to give you your share of the coins too, Katniss."

"Oh, I'll um, I'll get them from you when we get back to my house." I don't push it. It wouldn't help; Katniss can be as stubborn as me sometimes.

It's not a long walk to Katniss' absurdly large house. We go in and see Prim setting the table. Once she hears the door open she turns and waves. "Hiya Gale. Hiya Katniss. Good timing, we're almost ready to eat."

The past half year's been good to Prim. Katniss always made sure Prim had enough to eat and was taken care of as well as any Seam child (sometimes Katniss did this at the cost of her own food and health.) But even the best of intentions and the greatest of efforts can fall short in the Seam.

Of course now that's not an issue. Now it's not just food, Prim has new clothes, money to take care of her cat and goat (no, money hasn't made the cat friendlier or cuter. I suspect even Capitol science might reach it limits there) and Prim's carefree attitude and smile aren't at constant risk of being lost. After all, in the Seam there was never a margin of error, but now Katniss can afford anything Prim may ever need. The girl can live her entire life and never know hardship, and to be honest, I'm delighted. Prim's as good as my own little sister, and whatever distance there may be between Katniss and I, there's nothing like that with Prim.

Dinner at the Everdeens' is still similar to how it always was. Granted, there's more food and a lot more variety than we can bring back from the woods and it may be a dining room, but somehow it still feels similar. Katniss and I never poke at each other in public like we do in the woods so that same familiarity we used to have creeps in again. It's one of those moments with my Catnip instead of the Capitol's Katniss, so even though I feel a bit guilty just taking their food like this, it doesn't bother me as much as it probably should.

Just as we're finishing up eating the doorbell rings. (Why does that even exist? What's wrong with just knocking?) "I'll get it." Prim announces, going to the door. She opens it and sees Madge on the other side. "Oh, Madge, hi. Come on in."

Madge comes inside and waves to us all. She started hanging around during the Games. I wasn't much a fan of it, or her, but rather than take the hint (it wasn't a very subtle one) she actually yelled at me. I'll give her credit for that. She's a rich girl, Mayor's daughter and all that, but she's Katniss' friend and actually had some guts, so I put up with it. And honestly, she wasn't so bad, it was actually sort of nice to have one more person there during the Games. She never really fit in at the old Seam house though. It's like she was always too well dressed, too well mannered for that place; it just was a mismatch and she knew it.

Here though, it's just the opposite. She fits in perfectly in this mansion, far better than me, or Katniss for that matter. The huge rooms, the plush furniture, the huge TV, it's all familiar to Madge and she fits in perfectly. I've never really looked around her house. Hell I've only ever been in the place once, but I imagine it's similar. So yeah, she looks like she belongs in a place like this. Me? I spent the first two weeks worrying I was tracking mud in the house. (For the record I was, I've gotten better about it though.)

Madge is sitting on the couch playing video games with Prim now. Those two are actually a pretty good match. Prim was always weird for a Seam girl; blonde, blue eyed, always smiling and happy. Finally she's somewhere she fits in. It's good to see.

The video games though? That's a step too far for me. Prim loves them, Madge too, even Katniss plays, but I could never get into them. They're just too weird, too much going on, everything's moving and flashing and trying to get my attention. It's just weird and artificial. Madge is here playing with Prim and Katniss practically every day, and to me that's usually my cue to leave. This is more a Capitol Katniss sort of thing than a Catnip sort of thing, and besides, I have my own family to get back to, so I say my goodbyes and head home.

**Author's Notes:**

So there it is, chapter 1 of the sequel people asked for. I hope everyone likes it. It was a bit of a rush to get a new, longer (the rough plan is for 21 chapters) story planned out and a chapter done in this time frame, so I hope it came out ok. I know the pacing is quite a bit different from the previous story, but Katniss and Glimmer's lives are quite a bit different too. Thanks to my friend JB for help with editing. Like always I'd love to hear from anyone with something to say, so please, review. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.


	2. Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

** Glimmer**

I wake up in my big, fluffy bed. It's a luxury we weren't allowed in the Academy, but then a lot wasn't allowed there. It was basically a big boarding school after all, so identical furniture in every room, everything utilitarian rather than big and nice. Living in close quarters, either with a roommate or alone (I picked alone), shared bathrooms, nothing individual or unique about anything,;it's the complete opposite of how I live now in a lot of ways.

My house in Victor's Village is a mansion: a massive structure of glass, steel and stucco, sleek and modern looking. It could comfortably house even a large family, but this particular mansion is just for me. There's a lot of bedrooms; I could use a different one every day of the week if the urge struck me, but I stick to the master bedroom. Well, it's more a suite, really. In addition to being the largest bedroom on its own, it also has a small sitting room with a wet bar and a library, and of course the bathroom. Besides the absolutely huge, soft bed, the bathroom is one of my favorite parts of this house.

The bathroom is a wonderfully huge room, with two huge sinks, a place to sit and do my makeup (a girl has to look her best after all), a walk-in shower that could easily fit four people, and a massive bath tub, the sort I can lie down in and just luxuriate in the water and enjoy all the jets.

Right now the massive shower is my destination. It's similar to Capitol ones, with a bank of buttons for endless options. It took me long hours (gee, like I'm lacking in those) to try them all and find my favorites. Fortunately whatever machine runs the shower is smart and remembers them. Now it just takes one button press and water sprays from all directions, the exact temperature and intensity I want. More buttons get me my shampoo and soap (scented of course.) and finally after a long, lingering hot shower I step out to the Capitol machine that dries me off instantly. I have to say, whoever made that machine is a genius. For girls with long hair it takes forever to dry, and you really get tired of going through life with wet hair.

Afterwards I spend some time making myself beautiful (well more beautiful than I already am), then it's getting dressed (workout clothes) and finally breakfast time. Now I'd love to say I'm a great cook or that I have some gourmet chef on payroll, but I just don't. So meals around here are either simple things anyone can make or some of that instant and reheat stuff. It might not be great for you, but it's done ok so far. I suppose I have the spare time to learn to be a master chef, but I just haven't had the urge. Maybe a few years of bad food will change that. We'll see.

After the dishes are in the dishwasher I grab my music player and head out for my morning run. I don't do anything too insane today, just eight miles. At first some of the looks I'd get, especially around Victor's Village and the Academy bothered me; the typical scorn for a 'fake Victor' and all that. Now I don't even really notice. I just sort of zone out listening to music and running. I can't say I like the attitudes, but what are they going to do? I'm a Victor. That may mean I'm some paid slut for Snow, but they can't take my crown from me, so it doesn't matter how much they hate me. It doesn't change anything.

Once my run is finished it's time for the rest of my daily workout. I don't really know what the point is. I mean, what am I training for? No one's going to put another weapon in my hand; there's no more fights left for me. I'm basically retired. Retired at nineteen. It sounds nice at first, but the problem is I have a lot of time left. And by a lot I'm not just talking about years- this is decades I still have that time and not a single thing to do. So yeah, I keep working out, because I got in the habit in the Academy, because it's something to do, and because it keeps me sane. Some sort of structure and routine to life helps.

My house has a rather nice training room. I've set it up with weights and equipment for strength training, some exercise machines and a large collection of training weapons. Unfortunately real weapons are illegal (somehow the Academy gets a pass on this) so mine are all wood. The fact I'm not trusted with real weapons anymore pisses me off, frankly. They trusted me with them for years just a few miles away in the Academy, they trusted me with them in the Games, so what's changed? I think the fact I won sort of proves I know what I'm doing, but apparently not.

Another thing that pisses me off is that I'm alone for this. Yeah, you can practice your form and all that with weapons alone, but it only goes so far. You really need to spar, and thanks to the Academy's campaign of painting me as not a real winner no one who can actually use a weapon will have anything to do with me. Shame, I'd love to take some of those idiots on.

When I ditched the Career pack and teamed up with Katniss it apparently was not popular back here in 1. They thought it was too soon, so it wasn't the start of the usual pack breakup, it was a betrayal. The fact I teamed up with a tribute from 12 wasn't clever or unexpected, it was debasing myself and bringing shame to my district. The big catapult thing wasn't an innovate first for the Games, it was a cowardly attack that made me a pariah forever. (The fact it was Finch's idea somehow isn't relevant apparently.) And then I was the one to kill Marvel, the other Tribute from 1, the apparent completion of my betrayal.

All combined I'm now held up as a Tribute to be ashamed of, the worst to ever come out of the Academy. I won my way, not theirs, and now they make sure I pay the price. Every other Victor from 1 teaches at the Academy. Me? They won't let me in the door.

In fact the Academy and other Victors (particularly my bitch of a mentor Cashmere) made sure to spread those smears everywhere they could. So now no one even remotely connected with the Academy give me the time of day. Even regular people in District 1 don't much like me, that's how much influence the Academy has. I hear even my parents don't really brag that I'm their daughter for fear of problems.

It sounds ridiculous, but if people started to associate my parents with me they may really pay a price. Friends would shun them or things like that and their store would take a big hit to its business. Who knows, the place may even get vandalized or something. Hmm, now that I think of it maybe not; anyone who'd do it would probably be afraid I'd hunt them down. God knows I have the time to do it.

All combined it really pisses me the hell off sometimes, and this is the time of day I really let it. In this training room I put together all that anger actually has a place to go (other than in glorious homicidal rampages like I might have fantasized about once. Maybe twice…) Anger translates to energy, which the weights, exercise equipment and weapons practice burn off. It takes the better part of the morning to finish my routine. After a quick shower (for real quick, not like my morning shower) I grab lunch (again I wonder about learning to cook) and then it's out back.

I have a wonderful pool on my property. It's a large lap pool, with a deep end that's 11' deep; more than enough to use the diving board and never worry about hitting bottom. I love my pool, but right now I walk past it and into the pool house. I change into a bikini, put on my sunglasses and open up a panel in the casing of the door. Inside is a small headset that I put on and a number pad. I dial Katniss' number (technically her greenhouse's number from what she's told me) and head outside. After three rings I'm laying down on a chaise working on my tan and Katniss answers. "Hello?"

"Hiya, Katniss." As odd as it sounds, this is the first time I actually speak to another person most days.

"How you doing?Anything new?"

I laugh. "New? Nothing's ever new here. The wonderful predictable life of a retiree in District , there lots of unexpected excitement over in 12?"

"Well, no." Katniss admits. "It's the same as it's been every day."

"Yeah. Never really thought what it'd be like if I won. Sort of assumed I'd be teaching at the Academy. The new hotness all the students looked up to and all that. Maybe teach a few classes of early kids, you know like 13 year olds and so on, the sorts who are still pretty wide eyed and I could show off for. Though I wouldn't have minded mentoring a few more closely, you know, actually following them through their last few years to polish them and get them ready for the Games."

"Glimmer, I can't say I'd have been thrilled to hear that. You know, you training a new breed of killers."

"Katniss, whether I train them or not doesn't change a thing. The Games went on before either of us were born, and I don't see them ending any time soon. So whether I teach or not, or for that matter if you'd taken my advice and started an Academy over there in 12 it wouldn't change a thing."

"I guess not." She doesn't mean it, but doesn't want to argue. "Wouldn't it be kinda weird between us though, you mentoring some girl you trained trying to kill some girl I trained and am mentoring?"

I sigh. "I've tried not to think about mentoring. We're both up this year after all; I doubt whatever girl tribute we have from 1 will be too happy to have me. I'm sure it'll be a miserable time."

"Yeah, Haymitch doesn't make mentoring look very fun."

"You know it's probably pretty much guaranteed that no matter what I say or do whatever girl comes from 1 plans to absolutely brutalize the girl from 12."

"I hadn't really thought about it before." Katniss admits. "They're really that upset about everything?"

"Katniss, they don't let me in the Academy. I'm not joking. They do not let me into the building. So yeah, they really are that upset about it still. I'd bet good money that the top candidates are all being taught how to keep a prisoner alive for hours, maybe days."

"They're going to torture my girl." It should be a question, but she doesn't ask it like one. We both know the answer; it's sadly obvious.

"I think it's a given, yes." It's a disgusting thing to do, and to plan it in advance is just unspeakably despicable. District 1 makes luxury goods for the Capitol; artwork, jewelry, video games, the plush furniture, fast cars, it all comes from here. It's not unfair to say that everything beautiful in Panem flows from 1. But this is ugly. It's vile. It has no business coming from 1. Hell, it has no business coming from anywhere.

People love to talk about district pride, winning the Games for their district, things like that; they say what I did shamed our district, but what about this? How can this be anything but the absolute lowest moment District 1 has ever had in the Games? And what will it say when the Academy, arguably the heart of District 1 cheers for it?

"You've asked why I don't found an academy here in 12, Glimmer. That's why. That sort of attitude, the weird twisted morals, the missing sense of right and wrong. Don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing you of that. But what's coming this year is disgusting. I'd rather keep seeing helpless innocent kids from 12 dying than to produce monsters like your district is going to this year."

Well damn. That's not what I wanted to hear. Not because Katniss is being mean or cruel, or even because she's wrong. I didn't want to hear it because she's right, and we both know it. "Yeah, I can't really argue there."

"So Victory Tour starts in a few days."Katniss changes the subject. Thank god.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to talk in person again. I can meet that sister of yours too."

"I'm sure Prim will love meeting you."

"I've been planning how to corrupt her. I'm pretty sure I can get a good start in just a day."

"Hey, that's my sister! She's still innocent and she's going to stay that way!"

"Oh sure, sure, of course, Katniss. Keep telling yourself that."

"The way you're talking Glimmer I'm having second thoughts about letting you into my house at all."

"Well you still don't have a pool, so it might not be up to my standards…"

"You'll just have to make due. Try and force yourself to have fun before they drag us off to see relatives of people we knew and killed."

"And the wonderful conclusion to it all, a huge celebration dedicated to taking our virginity. Unless you get a clue with Gale first…"

"Glimmer!" Katniss yells. "I still can't believe you're a virgin though, Glimmer." That's a fast recovery for Katniss. She must be getting used to dealing with me.

"Well you know what kind of place the Academy can be. That really sound like the kind of dating pool you'd want to draw from?"

"Ok, you have a point there. But it's been half a year since the Games and I haven't heard you talk about anyone even once. Come on Glimmer, I know what you look like. What's the deal?"

I sigh. "You'll understand when we get here, Katniss. Look, I should go. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Heck, I'll see you in a few days."

"Ok, take care Glimmer."

"You too, Katniss. Later." A push of a button on the headset and I hang up. It seems like a lot of our conversations go like this. So many things to talk about that stray into areas neither of us like. It mirrors our lives; nothing we have that isn't tainted, no future that doesn't have misery in it; no possessions that don't remind us of what we have to do to pay for them; no rooms that are free of bad memories and bad omens of the future..

I put the headset back into its hidden compartment, set my sunglasses aside and dive into the pool. I hear swimming is good exercise, but that has nothing to do with why I'm in my pool. I love swimming. I love everything about it. The feel of the water on my skin, the rush of gliding through it, I even love how I look in a bikini. I feel so free in the water, really the only time I feel that at all. They taught swimming at the Academy, but I already knew how. It's one of the few things I got from my parents growing up. They have a pool at their house (well, once my house) and I learned early. I can barely remember a time I couldn't swim in fact.

The Academy taught us enough swimming to get by if there was a flooded arena, but that's it; it just wasn't a focus there. I spent a lot of time at that pool. Then, just like now I could find a bit of peace in the water, and the problems of whatever place I was in would disappear. It also helped that for a number of years I've been able to look great in a swimsuit. A few lecherous idiots that stared were all too easy to manipulate. I don't feel bad about it though. That pool was my sanctuary. If they wanted to invade it just to stare at girls wearing next to nothing they deserved what they got.

When I climb out of the pool it's well into the afternoon. I wash the pool water off in the shower (Yes, it's my third of the day. A girl has to always look her best. And besides, they kill time.) I get dressed in normal clothes, usually something that's tight, shows a lot of skin, is low cut, has a short skirt and the latest in fashionable high heels and head for my garage. Inside is my baby. Low to the ground, sleek, painted white, and outrageously expensive. An absurdly fast sports car is a shameless use of money not a day goes by that I'm not glad I indulged in. Even the doors are exotic: they open upward, hinged at the front.

I get in the car, push the button to open the garage door and start the car up, revving the monstrous engine loudly. I may only be going on errands for groceries and the like, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. I pull out of my driveway onto the road (Katniss says there's practically no paved roads in 12. Talk about backwards) and tear towards town, driving just barely sane enough to not have Peacekeepers put up roadblocks. By now they all know me, and fortunately they aren't locals, so the Academy smear campaign doesn't work on them, and my fame in the rest of Panem and natural charm do, so I get away with a lot.

Once I'm all done with my errands (It's possible I've gone shopping for myself too. I might even have just a tiny little shoe collection. What can I say? I love heels.) I go back to my training room for one more thing. I always thought gymnastics was cool, but the Academy didn't teach it. Honestly, I don't blame them. It's good for showing off, but not of any use in the Games. But now that I have all the time in the world, I thought I'd learn. Since the Academy doesn't teach it, people who do weren't really targeted by the smear campaign against me, so I was able to actually find someone to teach me twice a week. The other days I mess around some on my own.

It turns out I'll never be a great gymnast. Apparently to be one you need to be a prepubescent washboard, and, well, yeah… That's just not me. I'll settle for being able to do a few flips and a split, things like that. I don't bother with the real rules or things like that, just whatever seems cool to me. Maybe that makes me a lightweight or a dabbler, but hey, I'm just doing this for fun here, and if I learn new ways to look good in the process all the better.

My dabbling at well endowed gymnastics done, I sit down for dinner. I remember when I loved with my parents this was a big deal, a family mean together and all that. Honestly I sort of miss it. I don't have a ton of memories with my parents, so don't miss them as much as I could and probably should, but this is one of the times I do.

I tend to eat fast to get away from the awkward nostalgia. I go over to my parents' place to eat now and then, but it's been so long it's weird. We just don't know each other, and as hard as we all try, it's something that is going to take a long time I think. Smear campaign or not, I just don't fit in around 1 that well. I just don't do anything all day long really. I don't have a job, I don't need one, I don't make anything so I don't have any of the normal ties to this place. It's like I'm a guest in this distract rather than a real citizen.

It also probably doesn't help that I can't tell them a lot about my life, like why I'm in such a bad mood almost all the time. If I had a relative who was always angry and never wanted to tell me why, I probably would get tired of them fast too. Hell, I'd probably throw them out of my house. So all things considered my parents and I are a bit distant, and I'm not sure how fast that'll change, if ever.

Finally after dinner I toss the dishes in the dishwasher, turn it on and crash on my couch. It's large, plush white leather with a perfect view of my outrageously large television. I fire up a video game, turn on my speakers (set loud, loud enough to bother the neighbors in Victor's Village hopefully) and game well into the night. After all, I don't have anything I need to be up early for anyway.

**Author's Notes:**

And there you have it, a day in the life of Glimmer, Victor from District 1. It turns out her days are even slower than Katniss' (That's pretty sad, isn't it?) With no one to really talk to besides Katniss, this chapter is shorter than normal. Poor Glimmer just doesn't have that much to do. But the days spent trying to fill interminable hours are almost at an end. The Victory Tour is right around the corner.

Thanks to my friend JB for editing help and thanks for reading.


	3. Capitol Whores

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Prim**

I'm helping my mom make breakfast. The Victory Tour kicks off today with a dinner banquet at the Justice Building tonight, but school is canceled today and the mines are closed so it's a free day for everyone. Since it's Katniss' last day in District 12 for a few weeks I'm helping make a big breakfast for her. She should have as good a day as possible on her last day at home for a while.

I know she isn't looking forward to this trip. I'm not sure why, and she's tried to hide it, but I can tell when something's bothering her. I wish she'd talk to me about it, but she still thinks of me as a little kid. I love being her Little Duck, but there's times I wish she'd realize I was more grown up too.

Maybe it's just bad memories from the Games. After all, she'll have to see all the families of tributes, and even if she only killed one, she saw quite a few others die. Or maybe it's the Capitol. The way Katniss described it wasn't very nice at all; lots of pretty colors, but all so bright that they're gaudy. That and it's filled with people who don't really look like people anymore. She tried describing them to me, but honestly it's hard to imagine. I mean, why would someone want their skin to be all green? Or to be covered in bright blue scales? Or just put jewelry and piercings all over themselves. I can see earrings, they're pretty, but past that you lose me, and for Katniss even earrings is a step too far.

Whatever the reason it's bothering Katniss a lot more than she lets on. Maybe even past bothering, more like dread; I'm not sure really. Since she got back from the Games Katniss has been different, like she's stuck. A part of her can't get past it, and that part, the part that's the Katniss from before the Games just seems like it's frozen in time.

I mean seriously, I'm old enough to notice boys, why hasn't she? The way she sees Gale every day, the way his face lights up when he sees her, heck the way he comes around here even though it's pretty obvious he isn't comfortable in this house, and still she doesn't notice. When a boy looks at me like that I know what I it means; I know what boys I like, so what's her excuse?

I know Katniss has never exactly been in touch with her feelings but I'm starting to wonder if she hit her head or something. Back in the Seam she could claim she didn't have the time to spare, but now all she has is time, so why aren't she and Gale together? Sometimes I'm convinced I'm the older sister, not her.

The door bell rings in the middle of cooking breakfast. Well, really my mom is cooking (pancakes and bacon at the moment), I'm just helping. She's had bad days where I have to step in a lot more, but today the only thing I seem to actually need to do is answer the door. That's ok though, I'm glad mom is doing well.

Katniss says she was really bad right after our dad died, and Katniss has always been a bit suspicious that something like that could happen again. Since Katniss doesn't really like our mom, she doesn't spend a ton of time with her so I've stepped in to keep an eye out for problems, especially since we moved here, but nothing at all approaching what Katniss has talked about has happened.

I snap out of it and open the door. (It's not exactly nice to answer the door with your head in the clouds after all.) On the other side is a tall blonde girl with green eyes. "Glimmer?" I ask. I've never met her, but I saw her in the Games with my sister. She's not the sort of girl I'd forget, even if she is in normal clothes, not the other the top sort of thing she wore for her interviews.

She looks down at me. "Hmm, you must be Prim, right? Katniss' little sister?"

"That's right. Aren't you really early though? I thought you'd only be here tonight?"

"Yeah, but I pulled a few strings and managed to get here early."

"Oh, ok. Well we were just making breakfast. You want to come in and have some? Katniss will be down soon I'm sure."

"Sounds great, I'd love some real food, thanks Prim." She smiles at me and we head inside. "I'm glad to finally meet you. Katniss has told me a lot about you, and obviously I saw you on TV." My Reaping; well, technically it turned into Katniss' Reaping. Of course every tribute would have watched them.

"Yeah… I didn't enjoy it quite as much as you enjoyed yours." I set another place at the table. Glimmer get quiet with no quick response. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." I apologize.

"I know. It's ok. It wasn't all like I figured when I volunteered."

"Still, I shouldn't have said anything."

"Still have nightmares about it?" she asks me.

"How'd you know?"

Glimmer shrugs a bit."Educated guess. Suppose you could say nightmares are something I know a bit about."

"Ah." I nod. "That makes sense. Katniss too."

Hmm, smart girl. I wonder if I can try something smart too. "So, are you looking forward to the Victory Tour?"

Her smile and the easy look on her face crack just for a second. "Um, sure, why wouldn't I?"

"Hmm, you tell me."

She looks me over. "Not bad. You're more clever when it comes to people than your sister. Why the games though?"

Busted. Oh well, plan B I guess. "Katniss isn't looking forward to this at all, but she won't tell me why. I thought you might know."

"Ah, I see." Glimmer says, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Like I said, nightmares are something I know a bit about. Your sister does too. Sometimes they don't entirely go away when you wake up."

"Well that's a bit more than Katniss told me, but not much."

"Prim, trust me, this isn't a nightmare you want to know about. It's better that you don't know."

"I'm not a kid you know!" She's starting to act just like Katniss!

"I never said you were. But trust me, Prim, the answer you want won't help; it'll just make things worse. I'm not hiding things from you because you're a kid- I'm doing it because Katniss cares about you."

I'm not sure if I should push it more or not. As it turns out, I don't get the chance. My mom comes in with breakfast. "Breakfast is ready… Oh, hello there." she greet Glimmer.

"Hi. I'm Glimmer." She smiles at my mom, the serious expression she just had talking to me completely gone.

Katniss picks this moment to come downstairs (uncharacteristically late at that.) "Morning." she yawns.

"Wow, someone's gotten lazy in their retirement." Glimmer snickers.

"Glimmer?" Katniss looks, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. "It is you! What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be here until tonight."

"I pulled a few strings, sweet talked a person or two to get here early."

"Ah, great, I'll show you around after breakfast then." Katniss sits and eats.

**Glimmer**

After breakfast Katniss and I head out. She says it's to show me around the district, but I know that's just for the hidden microphones; we're going to the woods to hunt. I've been curious to see this for a while, it's why I did everything I could to get here early. We're walking down the road (unpaved at that.) already on the apparent outskirts of District 12."Trouble sleeping?" I ask.

"Yeah. You?"

"Same." I confirm.

"So this is really the edge of the District already?"

"Yeah, it's only about eight thousand people."

"You weren't kidding when you said it was small. And no paved roads either."

"What's the big deal with paved roads anyway?" she asks me.

"I'll show you when we get to 1. It's a lot different from this."

"Let me guess, it's **so** much nicer than here?"

"Well, yes and no. It's… complicated. You'll understand when you see it."

She lets it drop, thankfully. I don't really want to talk about life in 1. My house is wonderful, but everything beyond the property line is not so nice, and I don't particularly want to dwell on it. There's not much in the next few weeks that'll be any fun at all, but today I get to hang out with my friend, and I don't want to waste that dwelling on the idiots living in 1.

Katniss stops at a fence, listening. The signs on it claim it's the electrified fence at the District boundary, but Katniss calls the signs' bluff and rolls under it. Since she survives the experience I follow her lead.

I follow her into the woods, which soon enough give way to a clearing where a man is sitting on a rock with his back turned to us. "Hey Catnip, you're late…" he starts, but mid way through he stops himself and stands, turning to us. He's huge, well over six feet tall, and the way his muscles tense and he looks at me, sizing me up is something I haven't experienced since the Games. His posture, the way his hand easily slides to a knife resting in its sheath on his belt, it all screams Career. There's no doubt this is Gale Hawthorne. Katniss has talked about him at length, both in the Games and over the phone since then, but she never described him like this.

I told Katniss back in the Games that District 12 should have an Academy. It's a lot more humane than letting random children be sent to die. Katniss didn't like the idea, and even though I've mentioned it here and there since then, she's never budged. But unlike the weak victims 12 usually send, Katniss actually knew how to survive, she knew how to fight, and in the end she knew how to win. I always assumed it was a freak act of luck that 12 would have a tribute equal to a Career but now I see Katniss isn't totally unique; she's one half of a matched set.

"Relax Gale, it's just Glimmer. She got here early and is tagging along." Katniss explains.

Gale relaxes his posture, as do I. I hadn't even realized how I tensed up; it was old instincts come back without my even realizing. There's certainly people I've wanted to hit or hurt since the Games, but this is the first time I've actually seen a genuine threat. Katniss' sweetie is impressive, I gotta say.

"Oh, sorry." Gale says. "Didn't expect anyone with you."

"I didn't think she'd be here either; she got in early, so she's tagging along today." Katniss explains.

"All right. We don't have any spare weapons for you Glimmer, so you're just along for the ride."

"That's fine." I smile. I didn't really plan to do a lot anyway, I'm just curious what they actually do out here. The way Katniss talks this place is all that keeps her sane. I just want to see what it's like.

Gale and Katniss trade a few looks and I swear they're communicating; not just a few nods or things like that, this looks like a real conversation. It's amazing. I just watch quietly, trying to decipher what they're 'saying'. I don't have any luck, but whatever it is ends with Gale shrugging and heading off into the woods. Katniss nods for me to follow and we both go along.

Moving through the woods with Katniss and Gale is much different from when I was with the Career Pack. The Career Pack wasn't subtle or concerned with stealth at all, but Katniss and Gale clearly put a premium on it. Katniss is extremely quiet, but Gale is an absolute ghost. He's just a few feet ahead and I can't hear a single sound from him as he moves through the woods. It really is like he just floats above it all. I'm glad I didn't face anyone like him in the Games; he would have been deadly.

For my part I do my best to be quiet, but stealth was never something the Academy bothered to teach, so it's just my own efforts to stay quiet which are amateurish (Sort of embarrassingly so. I'm not used to being the worst at something.)

It doesn't take long before Gale stops and turns to look at me. "Is that the quietest you can be?"

"Afraid so."

"What, they don't teach you how to walk in the woods in that Academy?"

"Nope; not a word about stealth. But then they didn't teach much for tactics either, I had to make up my own."

"Well that may have worked out for you, but this isn't. Every animal in the woods will hear us coming."

"Well sorry! Nobody's ever shown me how to walk in the woods and be all silent, including you!"

"How can you live in a damned Academy all your life and not know how to move through the woods?" Gale demands.

"Maybe you should ask them. They do a lot of dumb shit as far as I'm concerned. Don't like them? Good. Join the damned club!"

"This isn't a god damned joke, Glimmer! I need this to feed my family!"

"So just take some money from Katniss. I know she's offered. A lot."

"I don't take charity!" Gale roars.

"Charity? Get over yourself, Hawthorne. Not everything is about you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You ever consider maybe Katniss wants to give you the money for her own reasons? Because it hurts to see someone she cares about suffering needlessly? Ever consider how much better it would feel to see the god damned money actually used for something good? Maybe if she saw you and your family well fed and happy it'd mean one less nightmare? One less time waking up in the middle of the night screaming at the same god damned thing just like we do day after day after day? Maybe it'd even make her feel a little less dirty when we're dragged off to be Capitol whores?"

Katniss gasps and I look at her, seeing utter shock and terror on her face. "He doesn't know? Oh my god Katniss, I'm so sorry. I know how close you two are, I just assumed… " Wow, I messed up big this time. Katniss and Gale are so close, I thought Katniss had told him. I mean, she's clueless about any feelings for him, but I thought she'd have talked to him about this. I mean, it's going to happen. Hell, I wish I had someone to talk to besides Katniss; she actually does have someone locally to talk to. It just made sense that Gale would have known. "Um, I think I saw a stream a little ways back. I'm gonna just go get some water or something. You guys can catch up later."

I head back the way we came. There really was a stream there, and I think I'll just wait around until someone comes to get me or it's time to go back. I'm pretty sure I can find that spot in the fence again. I hope it's still turned off by then.

**Gale**

I look at Katniss, trying to make sense of what Glimmer said and Katniss' reaction. Capitol whores Glimmer said. What's that even mean? It can't be the literal truth, can it? It's just some sort of Capitol using them to show off thing, right? It has to be that, doesn't it? "What's going on, Katniss?" She covers her face with her hands, like she's trying to hide. What the hell is going on here? I try again, softer this time. "Catnip, what's wrong?"

She looks up at me slowly. "Gale… I just… I…" I don't wait to hear any more. A few long strides and Katniss is in my arms. sobbing into my chest. I haven't seen her this broken up since Prim's name was pulled out of that damned bowl.

"Shhh, it'll be ok Katniss. Just tell me what's wrong and we'll deal with it. We always have."

"No Gale, you don't understand, it's not that simple." she ekes out between sobs.

"Then tell me. Please. Ever since you got back something's been different. I just don't understand. I want to help, but I can't if you keep pushing me away. Please, Katniss."

She looks up at me with red, puffy eyes. "What Glimmer said is true. All of it."

"Well I knew you had nightmares now and then, is it really that bad?"

"I had to soundproof my room, Gale. That's the only way Prim and my mom get a night's sleep without me waking them up."

Ok, that's worse than I thought. But I'm pretty sure what comes next is a whole other level of fucked up. "She said something else, Katniss. Was that part true too?"

She looks away and nods.

"Capitol… whores?" God, that's hard to say to her. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Mean? What do you think it means, Gale? We have sex. For money."

"I don't understand Katniss. You have money. You and that drunk Abernathy are the richest people in the entire District. What do you need more money for?"

"The money isn't for me, Gale. It's not like I'm getting paid for this!"

"So why do it?" God, this doesn't make any sense!

"Because if I don't he'll kill Prim! Or you."

I look down at her, no words coming to my vacant mouth. What the fuck is going on here? I try to make sense of what she just said, but there's no way I can add this up. "What do you mean, Katniss? Who's going to kill Prim? Who's going to kill me?"

"Snow."

"Snow?" I ask. "As in President Snow? The ruler of the whole god damned nation?" Katniss nods. Uh, ok. So the President may want me and Katniss' little sister dead? This still doesn't make any god damned sense."Katniss, I don't understand. Why does the President want to kill people? And what does you having sex have to do with it?"

She looks up at me again. I can tell she doesn't want to answer, and I hate to force her, but whatever is going on has been a secret too long. Whatever the hell it is why she's been moody and withdrawn for the past half a year, and even if I hate to force it out of her, I can tell it's killing her to keep it inside.

"You really want to know, Gale?" I nod. "Fine. After the final interview, we were called into the President's office; he wasn't happy with us. Apparently our teaming up sent a bad message, and what we did for Rue and Finch, the funerals we held went over bad in their districts. Like they started to riot or something. So Snow told us we have to be punished. Apparently all Victors have to do appointments. That's what he calls them. It's exactly what Glimmer said though. People pay Snow money to have sex with Victors. And if the Victors refuse, people close to them die. Prim. You. My mom. Your family. Glimmer's parents. He made it very clear he wasn't joking, and I'm pretty sure he's going to go out of his way to make it extra miserable for us somehow. He told us right after the celebration in the Capitol is our first appointment."

Good god. The mother fucking president of Panem, the guy who rules the whole damned country said that? This is what the fuck he does with all his time and his power? He takes traumatized people like my Catnip and whores them out? Fucking prick probably uses this to get more power.

So now it all makes sense. This is why Katniss has been like she has, why she always talked to Glimmer every single day, and why she's been dreading this Victory Tour. It's not just seeing the families from the Games; what's at the end of the tour is so much worse.

The way this asshole sounds he may keep Katniss and Glimmer in the Capitol for days, maybe weeks. And who the hell knows what kind of sick perverts are in that hellhole. God. I've never liked the Capitol, I knew they were bad, but holy shit, I never dreamed anything like this could take place. And to my poor Catnip.

"God Katniss, I am so sorry. I had no idea." I hold her tight.

"I know Gale. I should have told you, but I just couldn't. I couldn't find a way to tell you. I don't even like to think about it. I've tried so hard to pretend it wasn't coming or that it wasn't going to happen somehow, and I just tried to live and be normal. I know it hasn't worked so well since I got back and I'm sorry…"

"No Katniss, you don't have anything to apologize for. It's ok."

"Is it, Gale? Ever since the Reaping it seems like it never ends. It's just one bad thing after another."

"And you've gotten through them all. You're still here, I'm still here, Prim's still here. None of it's gone like anyone expected, but it's all turned out ok. This will be no different."

"But how long can I keep managing to just get by, Gale? I just don't know how long I can keep doing it."

"Katniss, that's just how life is; it's been like that for us all our lives. Let's face it, no one in the Seam ever really gets far ahead, do they? But it's ok, we've always made it. And we've done it because we're not alone. You're right, life can suck sometimes, sometimes a lot. Ever since our dads died we were always close to starving, but we made it because we teamed up. I don't know if you could have made it alone; I don't think I could have. It's just too much to carry alone, you know? But you can do things I can't, and I can do things you can't, so when we teamed up, we made it. Maybe we didn't get far ahead, but it worked out anyway. In the Games it was the same. I wasn't there to help, but you found another partner. Now I won't lie, I've got some mixed feelings on that, but it worked out. This will be no different."

She looks up at me, a glimmer of hope cracking through the tears. "You really believe that, Gale?"

"I have to, Katniss. It's the only way I can keep going. If I stopped to think about all the things that could go wrong, wrong for me, for you, for our families, I'd shut down; the weight is just too much. And sometimes, like during the Games, there really was nothing I could do but watch and try to have faith. Believe me, it's hard. But when it's all you can do, you do it."

"I just wish someday we could get ahead somewhere. Do something that would make an actual difference."

"You have, Katniss. If you doubt that just look at Prim. She's taller, stronger, she's as healthy as I've ever seen her. She's one of the happiest, best taken care of people in the entire District. Even a lot of townies don't look as good as her. She's the sign you've gained ground." Katniss nods a little. "Look, why don't you go check the snare line? I'll go collect Glimmer and we'll all meet up at the Hob."

"You sure you want to do that, Gale?"

I nod. "Yeah, I really should. She's going to be your partner when I can't, I shouldn't leave things like they are with her."

Katniss looks at me suspiciously. "If you're sure… Just try not to get in a fight. You two looked at each other like you wanted to earlier…"

"I promise, Catnip. I'll behave."

"All right." she says, looking at me skeptically for a moment before stepping away from me. She gives me one last firm look before turning and heading for the snare line. Geez! Do I really look that eager to pick a fight with a girl?

I head in the direction of the nearby stream. Glimmer said she was going there and hopefully she isn't trying to hide or anything like that. That's the last damned thing I need, some sick repeat of the Games or any stupid shit like that.

It turns out I don't have to worry; once I reach the stream she's sitting on a rock near the bank, tossing pebbles in the water. I make my way towards her, not sure what sort of reaction to expect. She must have noticed me by now; I'm not making any particular effort to be quiet. But she gives no indication she knows I'm here at all, so I keep going. Finally I get to the rock she's sitting on and take a seat next to her, but still nothing; she just keeps tossing pebbles into the water and watching the ripples. Well shit. I guess she's waiting for me to say something. "You know, I've had some mixed feeling about you."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." she replies coldly.

I ignore the temptation that comment provides and continue as if she hadn't said a thing. "When you sprung Katniss out of that tree I wasn't sure what to think. I was glad she was out, sure, but that's not the sort of thing that gets done in the Games. Especially not by Careers and well…"

"Not by dumb blondes?" she supplies.

"Um, well, yeah. No offense but if they had a poll for 'most likely to get mad that an avox was giving her the silent treatment' I think you'd have won in a landslide."

"That was sort of the point."

"I know. It worked; actually, no one knew what to make of you. On TV they even showed Clove speculating if you'd seduced Katniss to get her on your side." Glimmer stops tossing pebbles and gives me an incredulous stare. "I believe her words were 'she's probably into girls enough to seal the deal.'"

Glimmer tries and fails to stifle a giggle. "Wow, Clove really thought I was so good at seducing people I could land Katniss? She has got to be the absolutely least sexual person I've ever met." Hey! That's my Catnip she's talking about! "Um, no offense, I've been trying to clue her in to you, but, well, you know how she is I guess." Yeah, tell me about it.

"Anyway, once it turned out you were on the level I was glad she had you around. But when she got home things were all messed up. And I figured ok, yeah, coming back from the Games, who won't be kind of fucked up? So I just waited for her to get over it, except she didn't. And she kept talking to you every day, which was, well, kind of weird. Katniss doesn't really talk to anyone."

"Were you worried I was replacing you or something?"

Crap. The girl's sharp. I saw in the Games and I know Katniss told me, but fuck, she didn't take long to go after that at all. "Katniss does have a lot of friends, you have to understand. And she and I have been partners for years. Ever since our dads died it was just us against the world, and I really got used to that. And yeah, in the Games you were her partner and god knows I'm glad she had you, but the Games were over and she was home, but things didn't go back to normal."

"Yeah, tell me about it" she mutters. "Look, Gale, I get the whole you and Katniss against the world thing; she's told me all about it. Yeah, it sounds rough, and I get that you and she are close. But you have to understand, there's a Katniss and me against the world angle too. Neither of us asked for it, neither of us want it, but we don't get a say. You, me, Katniss, we're all just pieces on some big game board somewhere. I don't even know who the hell is playing this game. I know Snow, but that's it. We're just trying to get through this alive, and preferably with our virginity, but the odds seem kind of long on that one."

"That actually true? You're a virgin? No bullshit?"

"Ugh. Why do guys always ask that?" She rolls her eyes. "Fine, yes I am a virgin. I'm sure you heard all about life at the Academy and why I didn't do anything there. And no, I haven't done anything since."

"Why? Don't you have your pick of the district now?"

"Because District 1 is full of assholes."

Huh. Wonder what that means. She's right though, I'm getting off topic here. Damn Gale, focus! This is about Katniss, not Glimmer, damn it!

"Look, Gale, I'm not trying to steal your girl, really. I'm the one that's been pushing her to hook up with you; all that lesbian stuff was just teasing to get a rise out of her. But look, please understand something. You and Katniss have been partners since forever, right? I haven't had a partner. Ever. Katniss was the first. Pretty much my first and only friend too. So yeah, we talk. We have a lot to talk about, Snow, the Games, the Victory Tour, and more often than not one or the other of us just needs to vent. She could do that with you for some of this stuff, but I don't have anyone in 1 to talk to like she has you here. So I'm sorry if you feel threatened, but there's nothing you should be scared of here."

Well it's progress; we aren't seeing each other as some sort of threat. "I know. I'm just a bit possessive of family. And frankly, people like you have usually been the enemy."

"People like me?"

"Well Careers for one. People from that Academy of yours have killed a lot of people from 12, and that's not something easy to forget. And the other, well, people who look like you."

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" she asks, eying me suspiciously.

"You walked through the Seam to get here. You notice how all the people looked kind of the same?"

"Covered in coal dust, dark haired and looking worn down?"

"Well um, the second part is what I meant actually. In 12 if you've got dark hair like Katniss and I you're a Seam rat. If you're blonde, you're a townie and you could care less about anyone from the Seam."

"So blondes are bad for you? What about Prim then?"

"Prim's an exception. See, Katniss' mother is from a townie family, she fell in love with Katniss' dad who was a coal miner. That's rare, and obviously Prim inherited her looks from her mom, Katniss from her dad. But in general, yes, blondes are not exactly people who are friendly to us. So the idea that Katniss could talk to some career girl who looked just like the people who have been fucking us over all our lives has not been easy to get past. So yeah, Katniss talking with some chick I've never met and cutting me out wasn't cool for me. But I know you're her friend, you were her partner when I couldn't be, and you're going to be again."

"Yeah, that's fine, just try and relax about it all, ok? Nobody's exactly thrilled about all this, and it doesn't matter where we're from, if we'd have gotten along or even met if not for the Games and Snow's crap. We're apparently on the same team now, so we should try and get along and drop the whole Career aura thing you had going there."

"Career aura?"

"Yeah, when you realized Katniss wasn't alone, you had this tension and stance like I saw in Careers. This whole 'I'm ready to fight' thing."

"Well you do know being out here is a death penalty offense right?"

Glimmer blinks. "For what?"

"Poaching on Capitol lands."

"Seriously?" She shakes her head. "It figures. They practically own Katniss and I, why not everything else too?" Ok, I'm starting to like this chick. The fact she's talking shit on the Capitol may be a factor in that.

"Look, if we're all good we should head back. I told Katniss we'd meet her at the Hob."

"What's a Hob?"

"Local black market. It's where we sell the game we get and buy most everything else. Well, Katniss can afford real stores now, but you get the idea."

"All right, let's go." We get up and head back to 12.

**Author's Notes:**

Another chapter down. I hope everyone enjoyed seeing Glimmer and Gale meet. Next chapter the Victory Tour kicks off with Glimmer and Katniss' speeches in 12. As always, thanks to my friend JB for help with editing. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. As always I'd love to hear from you. Reviews and comments are great. Thanks for reading.


	4. It's Just a Victor

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Katniss**

The snare line produced squirrels and a rabbit for us. I managed to sell them for decent money, not that I'll be able to give Gale nearly as much as I'd like. He's fair to a fault, and that means splitting the money we make from hunting, even if I don't need a single coin and Gale can use them all. Every time we sell at the Hob we have the same argument; every time I try to get Gale to take more than half; every time he refuses. Sometimes I do something childish like run off before he can hand me my share of the coins, sometimes he wins.

I've hears there's such a thing as pickpockets; people who can take things out of your pocket without you noticing. I imagine it would work in reverse too. Maybe I should learn; I certainly have the time…

My indulgence of childish sticky fingered fantasies stops suddenly when the entire Hob falls deathly silent. What the heck? I look around and suddenly the cause is obvious. Gale and his very blonde, very famous companion. "Geez, can't you enter a room normally?"

"But that's no fun!" Glimmer's blonde voice is back. I guess she and Gale aren't mad at each other anymore if she's back to teasing me.

"Relax people, it's just a Victor, you see one every day, no big deal." Gale booms out. Apparently his voice has authority because the room quickly returns to normal.

"Way to ruin a girl's fun! No wonder you haven't hooked up with Katniss yet."

"Hey!" Gale yells. "Katniss, is she always like this?"

"Pretty much," I deadpan.

"Hey! I'm totally awesome and you know it Katniss!" Yep. She's already starting. And we have two long weeks on a train together to look forward to.

"Don't you have some banquet to get ready for or something?" Gale asks.

"Ugh, yes. My prep team will want to torture me all afternoon probably."

"Is it really that bad?"

"It's hours of horrors I never dreamed of. Pray you never experience it firsthand."

"We have a lot of it to look forward to in the next two weeks, and you're right, we do need to head back or they'll come looking for us, and this district didn't look big enough for it to take long to find this place." Glimmer breaks in.

"She's right Gale, we do need to get out of here. You'll be at the banquet later, right?" I ask.

"Sure, I may not like the Capitol but I'll eat their free food. Besides, you're leaving on the train afterwards right? I have to be there to say goodbye."

"Great, I'll see you then, Gale. Oh, don't forget your coins." I hand Gale all the coins and grab Glimmer and leave before Gale can object. Well, he didn't see how much I sold, so he can't say for sure if he has half the coins or all, right?

It's a short walk from the Hob back to Victor's Village. "Your team is on the train?" I ask.

"Yeah, should be. Yours probably will be at your house; more space and all that."

I nod. "You good to get back to the train then?"

"Sure, no problem. I'll see you at the banquet." We trade waves and part ways: her back to the train and me into my house.

**Prim**

Katniss is up in her room with her Prep Team. I see what she meant about them being weird; they look like something out of a bad kid's coloring book. People just are not supposed to look like that! But at least Cinna's nice. He's in the kitchen talking to my mom. He even looks like a normal person too!

Today's a big day in the District. There's a banquet to celebrate Katniss' victory tonight that marks the start of the Victory Tour, but it's also the first of the monthly Package Days and a day off from work and school. For most of 12 Package Days are a huge deal- packages of food and candy, some of it the sort of things they could never hope to afford. Every month for the next year there will be a Package Day to celebrate the district that produced the Victor. At least that's the Capitol's description of it. If it was a celebration you'd think it'd start as soon as the Games ended or when the Victors got home. Since half the Package Days come after the next Games it seems like they remind people of what they're going to lose. Like the dead kids don't do that enough.

Gale's quiet about it, but I know he doesn't like the Capitol. Katniss has mentioned that in the woods he isn't so quiet about it. It's things like that that make me think he's probably right. Of course he's pretty careful about what he says where I can hear, and so is Katniss, so all I have to go on is the odd comment they make when they don't realize I'm around, or forget they aren't alone in the room.

It'd be nice if they'd let me in on things a bit and I could actually do something to help for at least something, but that doesn't seem like it's gonna happen. So instead I'm spending my day off playing video games. Don't get me wrong, I like video games as much as the next girl, but there should be more to life than just that. Unfortunately I don't know if Katniss' prep team or Cinna have anything planned for me today, so I can't even really wander far from the house. So video games it is.

My gaming marathon is interrupted when Glimmer bursts into the house. Usually people only do that for houses they actually own. Weird. A few paces behind her is another Capitol… person. I think it's a guy, but it's the girliest looking guy I've ever seen. The face sort of looks like a guy, but there's way too much hair gel… and is that makeup? That and the clothes he's wearing are so tight I think they'd fit me. That could be a girl, but I think I'm gonna go with guy until I hear otherwise.

"No! I absolutely refuse!" Glimmer yells.

"I am your stylist and you will do as I say, and I say you will wear it!" Wow, he even has a girlie accent. This is the Capitol everyone hates so much?

"I'm not doing it and there's not a god damned thing you can do about it!"

"I am the brilliant stylist Puella and you are a mere canvas and will do as I say!"

"I'm not afraid to hit a girl you know." Glimmer warns, suddenly calm. It's the sort of calm I've seen a few times before, usually from Gale when he's about to start a serious fight.

"How dare you! You insult me by calling me a girl! As if any single gender could contain my brilliance, you stupid ignorant urchin!"

"Ok, that's it; it's time to hurt you." Glimmer's stance hardens. She's really going to do it and I'm going to have to clean up the mess on the floor!

"Now what's all this then?" Cinna stands in the doorway from the kitchen. With all the noise from the argument I didn't even notice him come in.

"Hmpf, Cinna. This is none of your concern. A simple matter between myself and this glorified mannequin."

"That may be so." Cinna starts. "But you do realize she is quite serious about hurting you, don't you?"

"A pathetic joke, no more! This child could not hope to touch the radiance that is Puella!"

"You must have watched the Games. I think that showed she could do more than simply touch you. And I do not think she is in a mood to show restraint." Cinna's calm to a fault here.

Puella looks at Glimmer again and it's like he's realizing for the first time she actually won the Games and did it by killing people. I'd like to say the color drains out of his face, but with so much makeup it could be just some wishful thinking on my part. "I'm going to start shoving those batteries somewhere. Care to guess where?" Glimmer asks with a grin.

"Now please, surely we can be reasonable about this?" Puella asks. He's bad at keeping fear out of his voice.

"No we really can't." Glimmer cuts him off. "You're fired."

"Absolutely not! You have no authority to fire me! You are a mere Victor and I am a legend! And this legend refuses to work with one such as you!"

"Yeah whatever. Hop the next train to the Capitol and tell yourself whatever the hell you want."

Puella leaves in a huff, slamming the door behind him. That poor door is just getting no respect today. There is one thing I need to ask before the door gets disrespected again though. "Um, Glimmer, why were you going to do something to him with batteries? Aren't there better things for the job?"

Glimmer looks at me, taking a moment to calm herself. "The outfits he was trying to make me wear needed batteries. They were covered in lights; flashing light, light strips, patterns, all sorts of nonsense. I'd have looked like a stupid billboard or something." Glimmer frowns

"Ah, I thought it might be that." Cinna says, I'm not sure if it's to us or himself. "He's been trying to push that in the Capitol, make it the next big trend. So far it hasn't caught on as much as he wanted. Seeing a Victor in it though…"

"A no talent hack trying to use my brilliance for his own, unlike you Cinna. And actually, that reminds me. I seem to need a new wardrobe…"

Cinna chuckles. "It's possible I might have something in your size. I'll let Katniss' prep team know they have another client so need to hurry."

"Thanks Cinna, you're the best." Glimmer smiles. The girl sure can go through moods fast. Cinna heads upstairs to talk to the prep team and Glimmer sits down next to me, grabbing a spare controller. "Mind if I join you?"

"Um, sure." I reply. I try not to sound apprehensive but the look on her face tells me I didn't do so well.

"Hey, don't worry, I'm not mad at you."

"How do you jump through emotions that fast?"

Glimmer looks thoughtful for a bit. "I think it's because a lot makes me angry, and most of it centers around this tour. I may not want to be, but there's so much that ticks me off, and it's been on me for a while now. Being mad is easy now, I've had so much practice at it that it's just automatic almost."

"What are you always so mad about?"

"Hmm, how to put this…"

"Why does everyone always say something like that?" I ask. I'm the one getting mad now. "Why can't anyone just tell me things?"

"Prim, these are things I'm not allowed to tell anyone. If I do, there's consequences; very real and bad ones. It's not that you're a kid or whatever, it's that I can't tell anyone; I'm just not willing to live with the price. And that's part of what I'm mad about. There's a lot in my life I should be in control of and I'm not. I guess you could say the odds are never in my favor, no matter how it may look."

"Is Katniss in a situation like that too? Where she can't talk to anyone about what's happening?"

Glimmer nods. "She and I are in the same boat, yeah."

"Are things going to get better for you and Katniss?"

She pauses for a bit. "I don't know Prim." I've heard that sort of answer before; it's a nice way to say no.

**Katniss**

Apparently Glimmer and her stylist had a falling out. I'm glad; I didn't like the look of the guy, and also it meant my prep team had to fit Glimmer in too, sparing me who knows how long of their bizarre work. Hopefully since they'll be doing this every day the session won't be as long, but I don't really think I'm that lucky.

There's parts of the tour I dread, but tonight isn't one of them. We'll have to make a speech at the Justice Building, which can either be some boring prewritten speech or if we knew tributes from the District something we write ourselves and then a banquet. Tonight Peeta's parents will be there, so that part will be a bit tough. His father and brothers don't hold a grudge, but his mother… Well, she's had a grudge against everyone since even before the Games, so no change there.

The banquet normally is just local politicians or something like that; people I could care less about. But in a Victor's district, their family and friends get to be there too. So that means Prim, my mom, Gale and Madge are there. A banquet with my friends isn't a bad start to this tour.

The only bad part tonight will be having to remember Peeta. My feelings for him were pretty muddled in the Games. I owed him for that bread all those years ago, but that declaration of love was just so… stupid. And on all of Panem watching. God I wanted to hit him for that. Hmm, come to think of it, I did hit him for that.

And then there was that idiot stunt teaming up with the Careers. Even if I was pretty sure it was a scheme, I still felt a little betrayed at the time. Not that I could really talk bad on teaming up with Careers for too much longer; I did the exact same thing with Glimmer after all.

Finding Peeta again was weird. They'd just said two of us could win; Glimmer and I could both walk out alive. It was still new in our heads, and after Rue and Finch died that rule was something that actually gave us some real hope.

Glimmer didn't like Peeta. She pretty much hated him actually. Being a coward was a big thing with her, and Peeta fit the bill perfectly as far as she was concerned. Me, I don't care either way. You do what you have to do to live, and sometimes that means you run and hide. It's not nice, but it keeps you alive.

I owed Peeta, I was still a bit mad at him, and his feelings… Well, frankly I tried hard to ignore them; they just get in the way. I wasn't sure how to handle it, really; mainly I played referee between Peeta and Glimmer or went out to hunt so I didn't have to deal with any of it. Not the best things for some speech.

I don't really know what I'll say. No one ever taught me how to do things like this. What do you say to parents in this situation? What they want to hear I guess. I'm not looking to change the world or even make some big statement; Snow made clear where that choice leads.

I guess nice talk about how brave he was at the end, what a courageous choice he made and all that will be the order of the day. I don't really have much planned; I'll just make it up as I go. Nothing I say can change things here. After all, this is District 12, not the sort of place that's going to sit in judgment of someone who was singled out by the Capitol for special abuse and actually survived it.

Besides, the Victory Tour isn't about the Victors or their districts; it's a reminder to the losers that they're just that: losers. So I'll make some speech, be paraded around in pretty dresses and be the doll Snow wants me to be. After all, it's like Peeta did. Sometimes you just hide and hope things get better.

Today I'm hiding in a dress that seems to move from black to dark red like smoldering coal, and matching heels. (Every time I give Cinna a look about them he reminds me I'm stuck with a taller partner who adores heels, so I have to suck it up or look tiny next to her.) It seems this will be how most of the outfits go, a mix of colors native to each district accented with red for me, and gold or silver for Glimmer, plus of course our Victor's crowns..

It's not exactly a lot to hide behind and it certainly isn't armor like some storybook hero; I don't know why Snow seems to think I am. Really Gale's the rebel, not me. If it was him going on this tour maybe Snow really would have someone to fear; instead he has two girls who are running late to the start of their tour and both wish we could just stay home.

Of course since it's a Capitol function and we're late there's Effie Trinket. Her absurd colors, the high pitched voice, the ridiculous outfits and obsession with punctuality, it seems Effie's completely unchanged since I last saw her. In some way's it's comforting, seeing a familiar (if decidedly odd) thing, but in other ways it really ticks me off. So perky and oblivious to all the horrors that happen right in front of her; a chipper escort for condemned prisoners.

Fortunately I'm not the target of her particular brand of motivation; Glimmer's the one running late since she fired her stylist, so she gets to listen to Effie. In a way I'm curious, but not so curious I'll go upstairs. Besides, she's getting ready in my room, and it's soundproofed; it's the only way Prim and my mom can get sleep reliably.

I don't know if it's because of Effie or not, but within a minute Glimmer's coming down the stairs. She looks amazing, of course, and the way her dress fits I'd say Cinna saw his having a second girl to design for well in advance. Effie's already rushing to collect Prim and my mother so we can get going. While everyone else is distracted with the odd mix of organization and chaos I walk over to Glimmer. "Enjoy Effie?" I quietly ask.

"Ah, she's not so bad."

I look Glimmer in the eye. I know she's teased and messed with me before, even flirted (I'm pretty sure that was just to get a laugh at my expense, not because seriously wanted me like that). I'm no expert at reading people, but I swear she's serious. "Are you kidding me?"

"Sure. She might be a bit annoying, but she's harmless."

"A bit annoying?" Did she hit her head or something?

"Just watch my mentor, Cashmere and you'll understand. Effie's annoying, but totally clueless. Cashmere, she knows exactly where this tour leads and loves seeing it; Effie's harmless, Cashmere is a malicious bitch."

Well this just sounds like it's going to be a delightful few weeks. Annoying Effie, drunk Haymitch, and Cashmere who just sounds like such a delightful girl. Oh yeah, and the families of people I used to know, some of whom were my friends and others Glimmer and I killed. Joy.

**Madge**

My dad has never been the party line sort, and that passed on to me. Sure, he's the mayor, head of District 12 and chief Capitol representative; that's what people see at least. When people aren't looking he's not a fan of the Capitol at all. Now he may not be as blatantly outspoken as Gale Hawthorne, but my dad's in a position to do more than just rant. As mayor of District 12 he can make life miserable for everyone, running things totally by the book, or he make things as loose and relaxed as possible. Now, that doesn't mean things are easy here, the Capitol won't let that happen, but compared to some other districts, 12 is relatively peaceful and pleasant.

Because my dad is a rebel in his own way, he raised me like one as well. That meant that when school lessons were blatant Capitol propaganda he made sure to show me the truth, and when I was old enough, he started giving me books to read. The sort of books that are banned: books about other districts in Panem, and especially books about the world before the Dark Times.

The world really was a different sort of place, and honestly a better place. Freedom of speech, freedom of movement, even freedom to bear arms; all of these weren't just allowed, they were called fundamental rights. Even the names were different. (Apparently District 12 was called West Virginia once.)

It's amazing to me people let all that be eroded and totally vanish. Now it's all just a dream, and an illegal one at that. Fortunately my dad taught me about Capitol surveillance as well;he taught me what places they listen to, what sorts are loyal to the Capitol and what sort aren't. He taught me to be paranoid and to keep my dreams to myself until the time comes that we can rise up against the Capitol.

For years I thought it was just wishful thinking that anyone would ever raise a fist against the Capitol, but half a year ago I saw it start. The Hunger Games, the Capitol's ultimate and most public of controls backfired. Not just one, but two districts rose up in riots against their masters. The Capitol didn't let people know, of course, but as a Mayor's daughter I get to see news feeds that normal people would be killed for reading.

The riots in 5 and 11 were unprecedented and the Peacekeepers were totally unprepared. The resident Peacekeepers were overwhelmed in a matter of minutes; more Peacekeepers were brought in and retook the Justice Buildings, but to fully pacify the uprisings took a week. All this because two girls who shouldn't have ever even spoken actually allied with each other and girls from 5 and 11, and when those girls from 5 and 11 died they weren't just cast off or left behind like they should be, they were honored.

Of course no one outside of 5 and 11 knows this, least of all Katniss and Glimmer. I've thought about telling Katniss, but I've never been sure how. To be honest I've always been a bit jealous of her, how she seems to able to do whatever she has to do. I'd have no idea what to do if I went out into the woods, but Katniss practically lives there. Sure, my dad keeps the fence off most of the time and that's why Katniss is able to go into the woods at all, but I wish I could go out and actually know what to do.

Before the Games Katniss had to hunt to feed her family, so I couldn't ask her to take me along. Indulging me at the expense of her own family just wouldn't be a fair thing for me to ask. Now that Katniss is a Victor she doesn't need to hunt and certainly would have the time to teach me things, but we never talk; I'm still in school for a little longer, and Katniss doesn't have to be anymore. I can't just go over to her house and ask either; I know full well that everything in Victor's Village is bugged.

I also know about the appointments. I'm sure Katniss could use someone to talk to about that, now I don't know if she would or not, but any way to broach that would raise a lot of questions that I can't answer. Maybe it makes me a bad friend, I don't really know. Unless something changes I think I'm stuck as an observer. It's basically what my entire life has been, just watching, inoffensive in the background, why should today be any different? I'm the pretty blonde in a dignified dress that everyone says looks nice then doesn't think about again.

The current window dressing I'm playing is sitting on stage at the Justice Building, waiting for Katniss and Glimmer to come out and make their speeches. But before that are the preliminaries, which consist of some gaudy looking Capitol woman giving a speech. It's the same every year, and as mayor's daughter I've had to go to every last one. I'm not sure exactly what she says; I must have actually paid attention at least one year, but I can't for the life of me tell you what she's going on about. Probably how glorious the Capitol is or some such.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I look like I'm paying attention. It's a well practiced skill, looking like you're interested and paying attention while your mind is totally disconnected and elsewhere. It may not be the most noble of skills, but in my life it is among the most useful. District 12 is basically in the sticks so not a lot of dignitaries come to visit, but there's enough formal functions that I've been expected to attend that I've learned the skill. I've gotten good at it; so good that I can even do it while someone is talking to me. Usually it's the same shallow meaningless chatter, so it's not hard to have those conversations on autopilot while I retreat into my own mind. After all, for a girl whose only friend is Katniss Everdeen great conversations that take your whole attention are rare indeed.

The Capitol woman has finished talking now and the crowd applauds, and me along with them. It's the sort of polite applause borne of intense apathy and boredom. Next is presenting Glimmer and then Katniss each with a plaque (are Victors actually expected to fill a wall with the plaques from each District?) and a bouquet of flowers. The crowd applauds with genuine enthusiasm for Glimmer and roaring adoration for Katniss; home town girl makes good.

It's Glimmer's turn to make her speech first (1 comes before 12 after all.) She walks to the microphone with the usual premade speech in her hand. She gives in a long look and then apparently decides to skip it; the raised arm holding the paper falls to her waist. "I don't think it's much of a secret Peeta and I didn't think much of each other or see eye to eye on most things. But in the end he stepped up and was someone District 12 should be proud of. He was all about helping others; his interview was about someone else, he joined the Careers to try and help someone else, and he died helping others. When he had to face the end he did it nobly and in a way that people should be proud of. District 12 had two great tributes, Peeta Mellark who gave his life, and my friend, Katniss Everdeen. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, District 12."

The crowd and I applaud. It's sincere, if not thunderous. A real speech hasn't happened in District 12 since Haymitch Abernathy won 24 years ago. Glimmer's was nice, and only the slightest bit revisionist, but the real event for the home crowd will be Katniss. Personally I think they might be disappointed, but hey, she's the local girl so they'll applaud for anything she says.

Katniss walks to the microphone slowly. I think it's partly the shoes, and partly fear. After all, words and Katniss aren't always on speaking terms. "Peeta Mellark went to the Games to help others. It's a contest all about killing and survival, but right from the start he did things differently; he dedicated his time in the Capitol to helping others. Primarily me. I'm very grateful for all Peeta did for me. I can't ever repay his kindness and certainly could never repay Peeta giving his life for me, all I can do is thank him, thank his parents and thank his family."

Again the crowd applauds. It wasn't a brilliant oration by any means, but it was sincere, and by Katniss standards unimaginably long. I also think it bothers her that she owes Peeta and can't ever repay that debt, though she wouldn't admit it. Not to me at least.

It's been an odd start to the Victory Tour so far. Usually we get the premade Capitol speeches and then it's off to the banquet, where the Victors and their mentors leave as fast as humanly possible. Most years we don't even get to see them stay long enough to look polite. Instead today we've gotten a pair of eulogies to start. The banquet will be different too, if for no other reason than I'll be sitting with the Victors instead of with my dad being a pretty little decoration.

The public part of all this is over, so the crowd gets to go home, but the Capitol crowd, the Victors and their guests all go into the Justice Building. For tonight only the desks, papers and Capitol bureaucracy have all been shoved aside for tables, chairs, a bar and a dance floor. Tonight, with these Victors is probably the closest the building has come to anything resembling justice in a long time.

Now I know the whole point of this is to make all the politicians, civil servants and other sorts of meaningless people feel important, like the Capitol cares about them and lets all these paper pushers see the famous Victors up close. Usually it's limited to a few handshakes and the odd picture or two. After all these **important** people have nothing they'd actually discuss with Victors, so traditionally the Victor and their mentor are alone, looking impatiently down their noses at the savages in 12.

Tonight, however, the Victors will have others at their table. Friends, family, and me among them. I'm actually looking forward to it. For the first time in my life I actually want to be at this banquet. So I go into the Justice Building, the smile on my face genuine for the first time of all the Victory Tour banquets I've been to.

**Author's Notes:**

Another chapter comes to an end, and the Victory Tour starts. I'd like to thank my friend JB for some help with the editing. Like always if anyone has any comments, critiques or suggestions I'd love to hear from you. Reviews are always great. Thanks for reading.


	5. Never Say You're Sorry

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Gale**

For the first time in years I feel like I'm sitting at the kids' table. There's a lot of important people (well, they think they're important, at least) who are busy keeping to themselves. Oh a few come over to congratulate Katniss and Glimmer now and then, a few take pictures with them, but in general we're left alone at our table while the 'grown ups' discuss important grown up things. I even feel like a kid in this suit. Just like a little kid, I can't help but pull at the collar. The whole thing feels stifling and tight in all the wrong places.

That Cinna guy claimed I'd need a suit and made sure I had money to go get one. I hate taking handouts like that, but he insisted I had to do this for Katniss; said I'd stick out like a sore thumb otherwise. Well, Catnip thinks real highly of him, so I listened, but damn, they weren't kidding at that big fancy townie store that you really need this shit altered to fit right. They had a tailor on staff and everything, but apparently it takes days to get that done. I can't see why, it's a damned needle and thread, how long can it really take if you actually try?

He's right though, just my regular clothes would have drawn a lot of attention here; everyone's all dressed up fancy like. Catnip and Glimmer are in these black dresses accented with their theme colors (it's weird thinking of Katniss as having a theme color. It's just not the sort of thing you'd ever think a Seam rat would have.) Prim's in a real pretty light blue dress, Madge is in this sunny light yellow dress, and Katniss' mom in a floral thing, which frankly seems like a pretty happy outfit on a woman who doesn't do happy a whole lot of the time. But what do I know. Girls have some weird clothes obsession; I know I shouldn't even try to understand.

That pretty much sums up our table. You'd think Haymitch might sit with us or at least say hi, but nope. Apparently there's something called an 'open bar' here. Best I can tell it means it's ok to get shit-house drunk; at least that's how Haymitch is taking it.

Cinna stops by to say hi and otherwise keeps a respectful difference. I get the vibe he's doing it to be nice, not to intrude on our little group of friends. I'm not sure if Glimmer and Mrs. Everdeen really are what I'd call friends, but I appreciate the gesture at least.

The surprise though, that's Glimmer's mentor, Cashmere. Glimmer's a real oddball as District 1 Victors go, but Cashmere? She's textbook perfect District 1. The woman has the beautiful long blonde hair, the green eyes, the great figure, like Glimmer, but the personalities don't match up at all.

Cashmere keeps watching us, or more specifically Glimmer. And not just watching, almost like she's stalking; keeps this cold evil gaze ready. It's been a few years since her Games, but I know Cashmere is just as deadly as ever. The way the woman carries herself, her body language and most of all, her eyes. I don't know what the story is, but for some reason Cashmere really hates the shit out of Glimmer. That could be one shitty train ride Katniss is gonna be stuck on.

The conversation has been typical boring stuff. Oh, what a pretty dress that is! Oh how nice your hair looks! Oh Prim is getting so big! Yeah, yeah, yeah. Heard it all before. Yes, everyone's outfit looks great, it makes them look thin and pretty, makeup and hair are prefect. There, that's the whole night's conversation in a nutshell.

I think it's because no one knows what the hell to say. We can't talk about the tour, at least some of us know the shit at the end, and that's the last thing anyone wants to discuss. I think we all know from experience that the Games are a bad topic; same with how life has been as Victors. Hell, we don't even have much in common except that the Capitol has taken things from us, and this is the wrong damned building to talk about that in.

So it feels like all night is nothing but small talk surrounded by Capitolites, townies and your basic suck-ups and ass-kissers (they call themselves civil servants, whatever the hell that means.) At least the food's good. Not that I don't eat well whenever I'm over at the Everdeens', but I'd be lying if I didn't say I take special satisfaction in eating the Capitol's food. Their money can actually help me for once, and I'm doing my damnedest to eat at least three people's worth of food.

And that's how the meal goes, expensive really tasty food and meaningless conversation since apparently eating in silence seems odd to a lot of people. Finally after it ends (they even have dessert here! Actual honest-to-god ice cream sundaes. I've never had one before and damn are they good. I've been missing out!) Haymitch and Cashmere come over. "Time to go." Haymitch announces.

"Yes Glimmer, we wouldn't want to be late on our trip to the Capitol." Cashmere is doing that bitchy sickeningly sweet thing with her voice that screams insincerity. Glimmer gives her this angry glare but holds her tongue.

"Say your goodbyes kids and let's go; car's waiting." Haymitch adds, walking off rather than waiting for a response. Cashmere gives us all a haughty look and walks off as well.

"Wow." Madge says. "I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I think you actually got lucky on your mentor, Katniss."

"Yeah." I agree. "Drunk beats evil bitch any day." I think I hear Glimmer mutter something under her breath. From the look on her face it probably isn't very nice.

Katniss and Glimmer get up and everyone starts saying goodbye in turn. I hang back, wanting to be last. Goodbyes with Glimmer are short since none of us really know her, but everyone seems to have something longer to say to Katniss.

Finally the others have said their goodbyes so I take my turn, walking to Katniss, wrapping her up in my arms. "Look, Catnip." I start, whispering into her ear so softly that even in this lion's den no one else can overhear. "I know things aren't good, that you're going to a bad place for horrible things, but you're strong, you'll get through this. As long as you make it back here we'll find a way to work it out. Don't worry about any of that, just make it back here, ok?"

"I'll… I'll try." It's the best she can manage.

I give Katniss one last squeeze before releasing her and walking to Glimmer. I wish I could entrust her with taking care of Katniss, but the fact is, Glimmer's going to be a victim of that same hell. "Good luck. Try and take care of yourselves." It's weak, but what the hell do you say in a situation like this?

"Yeah, we'll do our best." she replies.

It's a lame goodbye and a lame response. This whole situation sucks. I couldn't imagine ever saying this, but I felt more optimistic when Katniss was going off to the Games. At least there people are allowed weapons and can fight the dangers facing them.

I watch Katniss and Glimmer being led off by their mentors, and as soon as they're gone Madge looks at me. "We should go too. The Peacekeepers might be nicer to me, but I don't think you want to stick around to be told to get out."

Yeah, I've had my fifteen minutes here, no more nice-dressed friend of a Victor- I'm just a Seam rat where I don't belong again. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go."

I lead Madge and the Everdeen girls out of this damned building; justice my ass. It's a short walk to drop the Everdeens and then Madge off, and then finally to my house where I can take this damned suit off; I haven't been able to take a proper breath with this collar and tie all night. Too bad there's no market for used suits; I'd sell it for a few coins if I could.

**Glimmer**

It's a short car trip to the train station, less than a mile. Sadly, I think I've seen the sum total of all the paved roads in 12 on this ride. It makes me miss my car; driving way too fast is a pleasure every girl should get to indulge in. On the other hand Cashmere's in the car with me, and I can't get away from her fast enough.

I'm not sure what the hell her problem is. Maybe early on I could see it, but now, I just want to be left alone. Any childhood dreams of fame and glory are long gone; all that's left is the shimmering gold of my crown. If I had my way I'd leave it in a glass case on my mantle until the end of my days.

I'm not teaching at the Academy, I'm not going out and signing autographs or anything ridiculous like that, so what's her problem? This can't all be because I ignored what I knew she'd want in the Games, can it? You'd think if it were she'd be over it by now.

Fortunately the train is big, quite a few cars, and we're at the station now. I won't have to see Cashmere except during the car rides to and from each Justice Building, and even on those I wonder if I can ride with Katniss and get Haymitch to ride with Cashmere, preferably a very drunk Haymitch. Hmm, I wonder how much alcohol I'd have to pour down his throat to make him puke on her..

I'm out of the car as soon as we reach the station; I don't think it even came to a stop before I got out. The rest of our entourage is fairly eager to leave as well it seems, but Katniss is taking her time. She seems to have a nice home here, so I can't blame her for being reluctant to leave. Not everyone is so forgiving, however. "Come on, let's go!" Cashmere calls. "Some of us have appointments to keep."

Katniss and I snap our gazes to her. Did she actually just say that? Katniss turns to me; all I can do is shake my head and get on the train. The others follow, with Cashmere bringing up the rear. It seems odd to me she'd do that until she makes a show of pushing past Katniss on the way to whatever part of this train she and the Capitolites plan to inhabit. "Don't just stop in a doorway! Really, does no one in 12 know any manners at all?"

Katniss waits for everyone besides Haymitch and myself to leave the car we're on. "What's her problem?"

"District 1 is known for its charming Victors, didn't you know, sweetheart?" Haymitch smirks.

"Are all the Career Victors are like that?"

"Well, yes and no. Most of them are assholes, but I think Cash has a special dislike of you and princess."

"Why?" Katniss asks.

Haymitch shrugs. "Dunno. Try asking princess there. Or you can do like me: not give a damn and hit the bar car." Good to his word, Haymitch heads off in the direction of the bar car; he didn't even wait to see if either of us would take him up on his offer.

Katniss turns to me; she doesn't look happy. "This is what it's been like in 1 for you?"

"Yeah, pretty much." I nod. "After the first few weeks I learned to avoid the worst of it. Not much of an option here though."

"So we try to ignore her."

"And now you see why I didn't stay on the first floor after we won the Games."

**Gale**

The banquet at the Justice Building was a send off for Katniss; a last time to see family and friends before being dragged off to suffer just because she survived a damned Game. I didn't tell her, but it was a send off for me too, in a sense. Katniss has so much on her mind I didn't want to bring it up; it'd have just ended in another argument.

Tomorrow I start in the mines. The production quotas went up not long after Katniss and Glimmer won the Games and have steadily increased since then. At first the miners met quota by just working harder, then longer shifts, but the Capitol demands just kept going up. The only way to meet them now is to have more miners. And the only source of new miners is kids bound for the mines already.

They didn't have any choice; the end of school has been moved up, and for me the last day was today. They've known for a while they'd have to do it; most parts of school that weren't actual training for the mines have been dropped, at least for the kids already picked to go mine. I doubt Madge's classes cover the finer points of how to extract coal, but in my case, that's all they've taught me for weeks now.

I've been trying to think of a way to break it to Katniss for a while now, but I can't seem to think of one. Every time I think of how to do it the Katniss in my head just tells me to stay out of the mines and that she has enough money that I don't ever have to go there.

To her it makes perfect sense; the mines are where our fathers died, and she's absolutely convinced if I go in there I'll die too. And since I'll die if I go, anything to avoid going is better, and since she has infinite money, I should just take some from her.

Yeah. Not gonna happen. I'm not going to live my life as a god damned moocher. Maybe it would make Katniss feel better and all that, but there's no way I could look in the mirror. Living off someone else's kindness, making my family live off that same kindness, even if it's someone as close to me as Katniss, it's just not something I'm going to do. We may be partners but I can take care of my own damned family; I've already done it for years, after all.

I know Katniss will find out sooner or later and be pissed, but it's too late to do anything about that. Besides, she was going to be pissed no matter what. With this damned tour, especially now that I know how it ends, I just couldn't bring myself to dump this on Katniss. Since I won't take her money there's nothing she could do, so better she doesn't have to carry my crap on her shoulders; she has enough of her own.

But at least we got a nice meal out of it; lot of food before my first twelve hour day. The Capitol's so generous.

**Katniss**

I didn't sleep well at all; I was up half the night trying to think of what I'll say in 11; what I'll say to Rue's family. It's hard, because all the reasons that her death was so tough for me are reasons that don't work well in a, well, a eulogy I guess.

The biggest part was that Rue reminded me of Prim. I volunteered to keep Prim out of the Games, and seeing a girl like Rue there reminded me so much of my little sister. I'd tried hard not to dwell on thoughts of home; they weren't going to help me at all. But when Rue died it was impossible to not realize that Prim could have been just like that too. If it had been Prim in the Games instead of me I can't see her having lasted long; Glimmer would have never allied with her. My dear sister would have been just another victim.

The other part about Rue's death that hit me hard was just the fact she was there at all. Rue was just a little girl; she had no business being a contestant in some Capitol death sport, like some twisted game show, but on those you have to be 18 at least. (Not that I've ever watched a game show on TV. Well, maybe just once, but that's because the TV was already on that channel when I turned it on. Really…)

But saying she shouldn't have been there won't do at all. I'm under strict orders from Snow to behave, and if I don't, someone I know dies. Rue's family deserves something said, but clearly that's out. That just leaves something about how she reminded me of Prim. It's not great, not at all. But Rue was with Glimmer and I for so short a time I didn't get to know her at all.

I'll have to go with just saying she reminded me of Prim; it's the truth, even if it probably won't be much comfort to her family. I doubt any speech I come up with will be great to begin with. If they want nice words that hit the perfect tone they should have asked Madge, not me. She's the politician's kid, she grew up around this. I grew up around a mother who was practically catatonic.

There's really no point dwelling further; it's not like pretty words are going to magically come into my head. I'll just wing it on stage. It's the best plan for me. And besides, I'm hungry. It's funny, I made fun of Glimmer in the Games for being grumpy when a meal was late, but I'm getting just as soft. There was a time when I could get by on just a small meal per day, and sometimes not even that, but life as a Victor has meant food literally any time I wanted, and I've gotten used to it. I already hear my stomach complaining that I've been up this long without breakfast.

I get dressed (the closet here is a lot closer to my taste than is normal for Capitol stocked closets; I suspect I have Cinna to thank for this.) and head to the dining car. Glimmer, Haymitch and Effie are already there eating. "Morning. Nobody else up yet?"

"Good morning, Katniss." Effie greets. "I'm sure some of the others are up but they've elected to take their meals in private. Apparently they found the table manners in District 12… unsettling at the banquet last night."

"Just a bunch of stuck up assholes." Haymitch offers.

"Don't hear me complaining." Glimmer shrugs.

I certainly won't complain either.

"So sweetheart, you know what you're gonna say tonight?" Haymitch asks me as I get breakfast from the buffet that's been laid out.

"Well, more or less. I haven't written anything down but I know basically what I want to say."

"Well I suppose for you that's impressive." Haymitch mutters. I give him a dirty look in response. "You saying anything special, princess?"

"No, I don't think so. I didn't really know her that well." Glimmer answers.

"You didn't know bread boy much, didn't even like him, but you said something for him."

"Yeah, but Katniss knew him so I did it to be nice." Glimmer shrugs. I wonder if the fact Peeta made a difference in the finale isn't a factor; one Glimmer will never admit to of course.

"Well, whatever." Haymitch shrugs.

Glimmer looks at Haymitch, an oddly unsure expression on her face. "I did want to ask about something else though…"

"What's that?"

"The kids I killed at the bloodbath, what do I say at their districts?"

Haymitch sits up, setting down him coffee (or whatever's in his coffee cup, I doubt it's entirely coffee) "Well that's a bit of a hard question. Usually with Careers bloodbath victims are meaningless on a Victory Tour. But you're not exactly a normal Career. On the other hand, Victors who aren't Careers don't tend to have bloodbath kills, so it doesn't much come up there either. Hmm, that's a tough one. You leaning any particular way?"

"I… I was wondering if I should apologize?"

"No." Haymitch cuts her off.

"No?"

"That's right, no."

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because it's a stupid idea. Even if she's sorry, even if she really means it, what will saying so do? It'll make Victors look weak, and it'll make the Games look like something to apologize for. Looking weak isn't a good idea for either of you right now, and making everyone think you believe the Games are a bad thing is a shitty idea. Do I really need to spell out why?"

He has a point; Snow told us if we step out of line someone dies, and making it look like we aren't happy Victors supporting the Capitol and the Games certainly will qualify.

"So what, I just read the stupid stock script they give us?" Glimmer demands.

Haymitch thinks a moment before answering. "Yes, that's exactly what you do."

"Well that sucks."

"Welcome to being a Victor, princess. Your time in the Capitol is going to suck. Watching two kids die on my watch for twenty three years in a row sucks. The nightmares suck. A lot about our lives sucks, you may as well get used to it. And yeah, maybe those parents deserve better than some canned speech, but a lot of people deserve better than they get; you've seen that by now I think. For now just smile, play your part and suck it up."

"So nothing about our lives is really ours." Glimmer grumbles.

"Now you're catching on. Once you're reaped you belong to them, no matter what."

"Glimmer's right, that does suck." I agree.

I stare out the window, as if there's an answer out there somewhere. All that's out there is wilderness, the huge empty space between districts. It's the same empty space Gale tried to convince me to run away into half a year ago. It was a silly idea; we have families, people who depend on us and if we left they'd starve. That or we'd have to take them with us, eight mouths to feed, not just two. The idea was ridiculous; I wish I'd considered it more seriously.

We'd have had to set some things up in advance; find a permanent shelter, a source of water, have regular means of getting food, enough so that our families could have a home of sorts to go to rather than wandering through the woods with all of them hoping we survive. that cabin by the lake is possible, but so close District 12 I'd worry we'd be found. No, we'd need to range out further, several days hike at least I think.

Now that I'm a Victor I can buy a lot of supplies we'd need. Things like tents, sleeping bags, containers for water, fire starting supplies, food, all sorts of things. The only thing lacking is a place to call home. Having to be several days away is a problem; we've spent the night in the woods a few times when the fence was on and we couldn't get back into the district, but this would be more like spending a week at a time exploring, ranging dozens of miles out, maybe more.

I'm not sure how well our families would take to that. And even if they were to agree to that, the idea of leaving District 12 forever, leaving and facing life as avox or being outright killed if we're ever found, that would be a tough sell.

A giant steel wall jars me out of my fantasy. It's outside the window, it had to be at least thirty feet high. "What was that?" I ask.

"Hmm? What?" Haymitch asks, looking out the window. "What, the giant wall?"

"Yeah." I confirm. "It had to be as high as the houses in Victor's Village."

"That's District 11's border. Their version of our electrified fence, except theirs is solid steel, thirty feet tall with razor wire all over it. Oh yeah, and there's guard towers spaced pretty regularly too."

"What? Why?" I wonder aloud.

"Not all districts are like ours, sweetheart. As bad as it seems in the Seam it's a lot worse in a lot of other places, trust me. Our fence doesn't look like a god damned prison and our Peacekeepers are pretty relaxed. Here there's a wall prison wall, whippings and public executions pretty regularly."

"They make food here?" I ask. "At least they have enough to eat."

"What makes you say that? You have all the coal you wanted back in the Seam, sweetheart? You think a district that has a wall like that is going to be any looser with its production than 12 is with its coal?"

I should have known. Coal theft was a major offense back in 12. After all, the coal is for the Capitol and stealing coal means stealing from the Capitol, not a matter they take lightly. Having seen that wall I can only imagine how much worse it must be in this district. Unbelievable. I never dreamed I'd think of District 12 as a nicer place to live than most anywhere else.

Cinna sits down at the table with a cup of coffee in his hand; I was so lost in my own thoughts I totally missed him coming in. Geez Katniss, get it together! The old Katniss, the Katniss who had to hunt to stay alive would never have been so lost in her own head to miss something like the loud train doors opening!

"Good morning." Cinna greets. "As you know there will be another banquet tonight, just like last night. This will be the procedure for all the districts until we reach the Capitol. In general we'll arrive early in the day and there will be nothing you're required to do until evening, so your time will be your own."

"I know you're gonna run off to see princess' sweet pad over in 1 once we're there, and that's fine, but other than that you shouldn't wander off the train in other districts. Like I said, not all are exactly nice places, so just keep your sweet little asses on the train and out of trouble." Haymitch orders.

"What about the prep teams and all that?" Glimmer asks.

"That shouldn't take particularly long at all. I doubt you've particularly paid attention to them, but much of what the prep teams do is essentially restore you to a baseline and then add makeup and do your hair from there. As you'll be enjoying their work daily, the baseline is already there, so much of the process is done before they even begin."

"That baseline's harder to get to for some people than others." Haymitch dryly comments.

I groan.

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, Katniss." Glimmer sighs out. Two on one; that's just not fair.

**Glimmer**

Tonight's dress is mostly earth tones as the main colors. Honestly not my favorite colors, they're too muted for my taste; I've dressed to stand out for as long as I can remember. But it's only for one night, tomorrow is another district, another color, so I can suffer through it. Besides, this is going to be a bad night for Katniss; if I complain it'll just be to distract her form getting too lost in her thoughts.

I walk to the train platform where Katniss and the others are already waiting. Like me, she's in a dress that's in earth tones to fit the district, accented with her theme colors (Katniss can pull off the more muted earth tones better than me though.) Even if the colors work ok with her hair and skin tone, the girl herself doesn't look like she's doing great.

I don't bother saying anything to Katniss, I just wave. For most people talking helps (at least that's what people say) but Katniss isn't like that; she doesn't talk so much normally, at a time like this when she's trying to hold it together talking is the last thing she'll want to do.

"All right, here's how this will work." Haymitch announces. "We get in cars, we drive to the Justice Building, we mingle with the local Victors a bit, then you go out, say whatever you're gonna say, then it's the banquet and back to the train. Any questions?"

No one has any so we head off the train and into the waiting cars. Just like back in 12 it's a short ride to the Justice Building, and just like 12 it's shocking how dirt poor this district looks. If anything it's even worse than 12, and I really did not believe that could be possible; everything is dirty, everything is run down. It looks like this place was built just after the Dark Days and barely maintained since.

The Justice Building has the same tired feel as all the other buildings here, but it at least shows regular use and some attempt at maintenance. Inside it's more of the same, a building that must have been nice when it was built but needs serious restoration work. We finally wind up in a sitting room filled the few victors from District 11. One of them, an old woman in her 60's approaches us.

"Hello, I'm Seeder, I was Rue's mentor." She introduces herself.

Katniss doesn't manage a response so I step in for her. "I'm Glimmer, this is Katniss. It's nice to meet you."

She looks us both over for a moment. "Rue was a sweet girl, kind and carefree, but as much as I might have liked her, I've been a mentor for many years; I knew the odds. Friends in the Games are rare, I'm glad she was able to find some before the end."

"Um, thank you," Katniss stammers out.

"It's all right, I know this is a difficult night for you. I just wanted to say how happy I was that Rue managed to find people like you, and how lucky you are to have someone to go through all this with. It's much harder alone."

Seeder leaves us alone after that. Katniss and I keep to ourselves, waiting silently for a few minutes until we're escorted on stage. It starts with the typical speech that I completely tune out, then flowers and a plaque for Katniss and I. Next is my speech, really the Capitol's speech; all I do it read it off a card. As much as is possible I tune even this out. It's amazing how much you can do without paying attention to it, especially in front of people who aren't expecting some great rousing speech. It's Katniss they expect something more from.

After I run out of banalities on the card it's Katniss' turn. Katniss walks to the microphone.; I wish I could help her, but she's on her own here. She looks out at Rue's family, a group of small children and their parents, and then starts.

"I wasn't Rue's ally for long, but I took a liking to her instantly. I'd like to say it was because of something Rue said or did, some reason that would sound good here, but the truth is, Rue reminded me of my little sister. They're both the same age, they both have this sort of innocence to them, even in bad places; it seems to stand out even more in places like that in fact. I'm sorry I didn't get to know Rue for who she actually was, and I'm sorry we weren't able to protect her. I'm… I'm just… sorry."

Katniss walks back to where I am, at the back of the stage, near the doors to the Justice Building. I expect applause of some sort to follow her, but instead there is only silence. Katniss and I both look to see why. The crowd stands mute, staring at us. It's a surreal moment, it feels like something should be happening, but it doesn't. Instead someone in the crowd raises their arm in that same salute Katniss did for Rue at the impromptu funeral she held. I had thought it was some nice gesture that was a District 12 thing; apparently they either have it here too or are copying Katniss.

Whatever its origin the Peacekeepers obviously see significance in it; Katniss and I are practically shoved inside the Justice Building as soon as they see the gesture. In the few seconds it takes the Peacekeepers to get us inside I can see it has spread to the entire crowd. Just before the thick wooden doors of the Justice Building slam shut behind Katniss and I, I hear gunshots outside.

**Author's Notes:**

As always, thanks to my friend JB for help editing. Oh, and as an aside, having finally gotten a mechanical keyboard I have to say, if you're considering one I highly recommend it. They're great. Like always, I'd love to hear any comments, critiques reviews and whatever anyone has to say. Thanks for reading.


	6. Can I Go Home Now?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Gale**

I used to love being tall. It was great, I could see over short people, reach high things, it meant I could intimidate people and if that didn't work size helps a lot in a fight. As if all that wasn't good enough being tall got me more than a few looks from girls, which no guy minds. But all that was before I started working in the mines.

In the mines being tall is a curse; a curse that just doesn't end. The mines aren't just made for short people; they're made for some race of midgets. A lot of the tunnels are just tall enough for fully loaded coal carts to pass through, which means they're a hair over four feet tall. (If you were wondering I'm well past six feet tall. That's two too many for those damned tunnels.)

The tunnels that aren't pure transportation tunnels are taller, some I can stand in, a few I can even swing a pick in, but even those areas have random low parts; a place can seem fine, I'll be standing, working, doing my thing but if I take one step in the wrong direction my head slams straight into some low rock overhang.

The whole situation in the mines is pretty chaotic actually. From what I can pick up, the Capitol production quotas have been going way up (which is why I'm here, that part is no secret) but the allotment of supplies hasn't moved at all. The specific allotment that's complained about by the higher ups all the time is dynamite. They use it to blow up concentrations of coal so it can be basically just picked up with shovels. Well that's the theory at least. It works when they have the dynamite to do it, but a lot of the time they don't, so it's hand tools to manually dig it up.

Of course they haven't done it that way too much, so no one is exactly sure how much we can dig without going so far the tunnels cave in on us. The worst part is I'm in a different place every day. With all the new kids they have down here one day I can be drilling holes for dynamite to go into, another day I'll be picking up coal that was already blasted somewhere else in the mine and other days I'll be toiling away with a pick hoping the old man directing the effort hasn't gone senile and actually knows how much we can dig without the whole damned mountain falling on us.

The shifting around is the part that worries me the most. I may not really know what I'm doing in here, but if I was always working in the same place at least it'd be my fuck up if the place collapses on me and I die. The way it is now though it could be some idiot yesterday who made a mistake that will kill me today. It's a hard thing for me, not only being so inexperienced at a thing, but being potentially killed by other people not knowing what they're doing either.

The whole thing weighs on me; the uncertainty of danger, the feeling of being out of control of my own safety, not to mention the damned low ceilings and the fatigue that seems to reach down to my bones. I always knew I would wind up in the mines, all those fantasies of running away or hunting for a living were just silly nonsense, but now that I'm in the mines it's so much worse than I ever imagined. Six days a week of this until the day I die, it's hard to believe this is my life now.

I keep doing it for my family; they need the money; it's literally all that keeps them alive, all that keeps food on the table, but god it's hard. Every morning I seem to wake up more tired than the night before, my muscles still sore, the coal dust still under my nails and the fatigue in my mind is just a little bit worse than the night before.

That's one of the downsides of working here (as if it needed more). Lots of time to think. Because let's face it, how much focus does it take to swing a god damned pick? Swing the pick. Lift it back up. Swing it again. Wipe sweat off my brow. That's another thing; it's god damned hot in the mines. You'd think underground would be cold and clammy and shit. Nope. It's hot as hell down here.

Swing. Lift. Swing. Lift. Swing. Wipe. Lift. On and on it goes, endless until suddenly the old guy supervising this chamber yells out. "Stop!" I look to see who he's talking to. It's not me, is it?

It's not me, it's one of the other new kids; I don't know his name, but that's no surprise. They're moving everyone around daily, it's not worth learning new names every single day. Besides, it's not like we talk. What is there to talk about anyway? How much this place sucks? Yeah, no shit it sucks. We all know it. We're all stuck here.

The idiot in question brings his pick down again before looking at the old man. "Huh?" he asks, sounding particularly stupid while doing it. Someone tells him to stop and that's all he can say?

"You idiot! Were you paying any attention to where you're working at all?" the old man screams. The answer is no; cracks spread from where the idiot's pick just struck. I don't even have time to call the idiot a fucking moron before the ceiling comes down on top of us.

**Katniss**

"Was that gunfire I just heard?" I ask. I don't really direct the question to anyone in particular, I'm hoping either Glimmer or Haymitch answers.

Glimmer tries to answer but Haymitch cuts her off. "It was nothing."

Glimmer and I both look at Haymitch. "It didn't sound like nothing." I state.

"Well it was, now drop it." Haymitch demands. Neither Glimmer nor I are going to buy that. Haymitch figures that out very quickly and grabs each of us, dragging us further into the Justice Building.

Haymitch looks at the name plate on each door, finally opening one that claims to be a janitor's closet. Inside is a tiny room full of mops, cleaning supplies and all the other things that I imagine are supposed to be in a room like this. It's tiny, barely big enough for all three of us, but Haymitch shoves us inside regardless, shutting the door behind us.

"Ok, there probably aren't any bugs in here, but keep your voices down just in case." he whispers. Glimmer and I watch him, waiting for him to continue. "Yeah, that was gunfire, like you said. You have to ignore it; just act like nothing happened."

"Why? What's going on?" Glimmer demands.

Haymitch looks like he's thinking things over. "Haymitch." I warn with a glare. That's the same look he had back in the Capitol on the roof when he was thinking how much to tell us about life as a Victor.

"All right, fine. During the Games you did that funeral shit for the little girl, and at the end you did that salute, princess did it too. When it happened on screen, they mimicked it here, and then they rioted. Snow sent in the Peacekeepers but it still took them days to get control again."

"So that salute was a cue to start a new riot?" I ask.

Haymitch shrugs. "Maybe, maybe just an act of defiance. Either way, the Peacekeepers obviously weren't going to take chances."

"So much for an uneventful Victory Tour." Glimmer sighs.

"Wait, Snow said if we don't behave he'd start killing people! Now in the very first district we go to a riot almost starts and they have to shoot people!"

"Relax, sweetheart."

"This isn't a joke, Haymitch! We have to do something!"

"And just what the hell do you want to do?"

"I don't know! Make a speech, try to calm people down, apologize, something!"

"Not happening. Look, you're worried, I get it, but there's not a god damned thing you can do here. These people knew that salute would cost them their lives, and they did it anyway. And you know what, they would have done it whether your speech was good or bad, even if you read the Capitol bullshit. They wanted to make a point, a show of resistance and that's what they did."

"And now we have to pay for it." I sigh.

"Yeah, well, like it or not, that's how it is. Snow may flip his shit, who knows, but you aren't gonna stop that. There's no speech that's gonna calm people down or stop someone who's willing to die just to make a statement."

"So we just do nothing and watch our friends and family die?"

"Yes." Haymitch confirms. "It fucking sucks, believe me, I know; I've been there."

"You know? How?" I demand.

"Didn't you ever wonder why I live alone?" Honestly, I haven't. I just assumed no one would want to live with Haymitch, but now that he mentions it, you'd think he'd have family or something; certainly his house is more than big enough. "I was on Snow's radar once, right after I won my Games. Within two weeks my entire family was dead. So yes, it can happen, and yes, it does fucking suck. But you have to keep going."

"Why, what's the point? What difference does it make?"

"It makes a difference!" Haymitch insists. I just roll my eyes. "I thought you Seam kids were tough, didn't give up when shit went bad. Even if Snow's a dick there's still people who need you, so get your shit together and keep going; gut it out and eventually things will get better."

Wow. A Haymitch pep talk? He's pretty bad at them, actually. But between all the swears he does have a point. There's really nothing to do but keep going. Not to say I won't think seriously about taking my family and Gale's and running away, but that's a plan I can't work out without him, and that means getting home. If I smile and play my part maybe Snow will let me see my family again before he does something, and that means I still might have a chance to get them out.

I know it's a lousy plan and really forced optimism; I don't buy it, not even a little. This one event, this one thing that wasn't even my doing, it's going to undo my years of work trying to keep Prim alive. It'll be this, not starvation, not sickness, not even the Games that finally gets to her.

"Relax, it's not as bad as you think." Haymitch interrupts. "Look, even if's worst case and Snow kills someone it won't be your precious sister, so relax sweetheart."

"What? How do you know?" I demand.

"Because Snow is smart, and he knows that your sister is what's most important to you. If she dies you might go off script; he's got no leverage. So he'll make sure that no matter what sort of shit goes down she'll be the last one standing. The only way he'd go after the girl is if he plans to break you, and this shit here isn't close to enough for him to do it."

"Well that's something at least…" If Prim is safe that's more than something; it's practically everything. As long as Gale's still with me we have a shot. We won't have time to prepare and plan, but something could still be possible. "Fine, I'll play along."

"What about you, princess?" Haymitch asks.

"What, I have a choice in the matter? If I say no can I just go home? Maybe stay on the train and play video games?" Haymitch doesn't look amused. "It's a stupid question; we don't have any choice in this at all, people getting shot doesn't change that." Haymitch obviously sees that's as good as he'll get out of Glimmer. I'll go along too; after all, it's like Glimmer said: there's really no choice in the matter for us.

Haymitch escorts us out of this tiny janitor's closet to the banquet hall. This Justice Hall may look a lot like the one in 12, but this meal is nothing like the one we had back in 12. There it was friends together, and even if the conversation was awkward and forced, it still was people we knew. Tonight it's nothing but strangers.

The Mayor of 11 is a beastly thing, half fat slob, half sadistic bear. Within seconds of meeting him I could tell the cruelty, the huge fence, the razor wire, he doesn't just maintain it, he loves it. In between shaking our hands and taking pictures next to us he whined about how hard it's been maintaining discipline in his district lately, despite the public whippings and even executions.

The other local officials are no better; various minions, understudies and just plain thugs. The district is obviously a prison and these people like it that way. Just being around them makes me feel greasy. Glimmer's retreated behind that fake bubble blonde thing she can do. I've got to ask her how exactly she does that; I want to be able to zone out while everyone thinks I'm delighted to be there listening to them.

Thankfully once they've had their moment with us they leave us alone. I guess we're important enough to be seen with, but not important enough to actually stay around; certainly won't hear me complain. We might finally be left relatively alone but Glimmer and I don't speak; there's nothing to talk about in a place that's bugged. I don't even let my thoughts wander far in here.

It lasts several hours, but eventually the banquet ends and we go back to the train. That was the routine we had for days after that. The train would travel overnight, we'd wake up, kill time and by lunch we're at the next district. The evening is the same speech, flowers and a plaque, then a banquet with people we don't know, don't care about and who really don't much care about us as anything more than a photo opportunity.

Of course for me the hardest district was 11, right at the start; for Glimmer it's not as easy or quick. District 9 is the first of Glimmer's bloodbath kills we reach. Haymitch insists there's nothing she can say or do that will help, no perfectly worded apology that will make anyone feel better and to even try will cost Glimmer and I dearly.

It's clear Glimmer hates Haymitch's argument (vocally so in fact). I can understand Glimmer's side of it, but Haymitch is right, we have too much to lose and I think Haymitch might be right about no apology working. (I really hate when that drunk is right;it seems to happen way too much.) I don't say anything to Glimmer about it though.

I'm not particularly good with feelings (there's no shortage of people who would agree with that statement), but I know after the Games there's a lot of weird feelings in both Glimmer and I. They're strong, they're hard to understand, they come up at all the worst times and they refuse to go away.

Glimmer doesn't ask me what she should do and I don't offer an opinion. These are her feelings; it's up to her how to deal with them. Where feelings are concerned I generally try to ignore most of mine.

In the end Glimmer takes Haymitch's advice; she puts on the pretty blonde act, reads the Capitol speech and despises every minute of it. The crowds obviously hate her too. Her speech gets angry glares and token applause (the sort that only a heavy Peacekeeper presence can create.) Fortunately for her the banquet is all politicians, the sort who care nothing about the district, so we get the typical neglect rather than the hometown hate.

Districts 7 and 8 are more normal, as much as anything about this tour can be called normal. Maybe normal isn't the right word; it's more like going numb. It's like I'm there, I walk and talk, I go through all the motions but I don't feel what I'm supposed to. Looking at these families of dead kids I should feel bad, but I don't. Being used as a prop by these politicians should feel bad, but it doesn't. Maybe this is how Glimmer feels when she does her dumb blonde act? I'm not sure, but I don't think so. That seems more like her mind gets to escape somewhere else, this is my mind still being here, just it doesn't seem to feel anything.

Glimmer's act isn't working so well for her now either; Next up is District 6, home of her very first bloodbath victim. It was also her most gruesome kill. At the very start of the Games she hadn't gotten a handle on the adrenaline yet and that made for a brutal kill. If I'd been there to see it I'd have never teamed up with Glimmer. I might not have witnessed it, but the district certainly did, and they make no secret of it.

The reception is if anything colder and more hostile than in 9. Open hatred, stares of contempt, we're absolutely drowning in it on stage, and I'm not even the target, it must be worse for Glimmer. Most Careers wouldn't care, they'd just sneer at the crowd and call them weak, but Glimmer isn't most Careers.

The evening seems to drag on forever before we get back to the train; even after six of these banquets they still feel like they'll never end. "God, that sucked." Glimmer exclaims.

"Agreed." Cashmere nods. "All those people and their disgusting looks. They have only themselves to blame for the weaklings they call children. If they don't want to die in the bloodbath they should do something about it! If they want to hate someone for their weakness they should hate themselves."

God I'm starting to hate that woman. A quick glance at Glimmer confirms I'm not the only one; her hands are balled up into fists, but as it turns out it's not Glimmer that makes a move on Cashmere, it's Haymitch. He stumbles onto the train, tripping over his own feet and stumbling into Cashmere. He uses his hands to break his fall, and the first thing they reach is Cashmere's chest: two big handfuls of Career breasts. Haymitch looks down squarely at Cashmere's shoes. "Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Uncultured savage!" Cashmere exclaims and slaps Haymitch hard and storms off to her room.

Haymitch stands and looks at us with clear eyes. "Totally worth it."

**Glimmer**

After Haymitch handled the situation with Cashmere I eventually found myself on the observation car at the back of the train. It's almost entirely made of glass, walls curve up into a ceiling and then back down on the far wall in a huge transparent half cylinder. At the very back is a balcony big enough for several people, there's a few chairs even. A force field is around the entire thing, so the wind doesn't bother people; of course, it has nothing to do with any Victors looking for a way out.

Not that I'm looking to take that route, but I'm sure I'm not the first Victor to stand in this car and see the possibility. I also know there's no way I'm the first Victor to be here trying to think of what to say in a district; what to say to parents who lost their daughter.

Katniss comes in and sits down without a word, staring up at the sky. After a few quiet moments I decide to follow her lead. I sit across from her and look up through the transparent ceiling. "Stars are pretty tonight." I start.

"Yeah. I missed them in the Capitol; you couldn't see them over all the lights."

"I doubt they even notice. I'm sure they have machine to project fake stars on their ceilings and think that's even better."

"You sound like Gale." Katniss says with a smirk.

"Well I suppose there's worse people to emulate."

"A Gale fan girl now?"

"He says what he thinks. He's straightforward, I like that." I answer. "Saying what we're thinking and what we want is a luxury we don't get though, do we?"

Katniss looks at me for a bit. "If you could say anything you wanted tomorrow, what would it be?"

"I don't know! That's part of the problem!" I exclaim. "Maybe that she shouldn't have been there in the first place? I know you wanted to say that about Rue. Unlike Rue though, Finch wasn't just prey. If she'd been born in a Career district she could have been a Victor. Enough food so she'd have been big and strong, training with weapons, she could have won. But her family doesn't want to hear that, do they?"

"I'm the wrong person to ask about how people feel, Glimmer."

"Yeah, I know." I sigh. "I'll probably just make up some lame thing about respecting her intelligence and drive or something stupid like that."

"I don't think it'll matter." Katniss responds.

"Why is that?"

"I don't know what Finch's parents are like at all, but I think she'd know this is all just a show. When it was actually for her you said and did what really mattered to you; I'm sure she'd have appreciated it."

"Yeah, shame they didn't air it all."

"They didn't?"

"No, they were airing it, but once they figured out it was all this big funeral they cut away. I guess one per Games was already enough."

"How do you know?" Katniss asks.

"When I first got back to 1 I went to the Academy; all Victors do. Usually it's to start teaching there, but obviously that didn't happen in my case. In my case they already had blacklisted me, and every TV there had replays of the Games on; they made sure to focus on that particular scene."

"Ah. So why not just say she was your friend? They've probably never heard a Career say that before."

"Hmm, that's actually not bad, Katniss. Wow."

"You don't have to make such a show of being surprised, you know." Katniss deadpans.

"Where would the fun be in that?" Katniss just rolls her eyes. "I guess I'll ignore the other one?"

"What other one?"

"The boy from 5. He was another of my bloodbath kills."

"Geez Glimmer, you sure have a lot of those."

Ugh. She just had to say that? I know Katniss isn't one to know feelings, but I'd have thought even she would know that's not what I need to hear. "Oh, sorry Glimmer. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant I haven't been keeping track and I didn't realize…" she trails off lamely.

"Yeah, yeah, I know how you meant it."

**Katniss**

It's almost time to leave for the District 5 Justice Building. Glimmer and I haven't really talked much today; in fact I don't think Glimmer's really talked very much to anyone today. The sun is setting, burning the sky a brilliant red to match the colors of our gowns tonight.

The drive to the Justice Building is strange, because this district is strange. The district seems filled with massive buildings that look like endless tangles of pipes, and others that are these giant concrete towers surrounded by fields of some sort of odd colored mirror looking things, all aimed up at the tower. Somehow or other it's to make power; I have no idea how though. But one way or another virtually all the power in Panem comes from these weird things.

It's strange, but pretty in an odd sort of artificial way, and so unlike anything I've ever seen I don't mind the quiet ride. Strangely it's not until we're practically there that I see any actual houses. This district seems to have very few people in it; I guess these huge buildings basically run themselves.

When we get to the Justice Building we're taken immediately to the stage; apparently we're running late. Thinking back we were in no hurry to get going from the train, so I think it might be no accident we're just barely on time. There's the usual welcome from the mayor, the flowers and plaque and finally the speeches. Being from 1 Glimmer has the fun of going first.

Glimmer walks to the microphone. She looks slow, almost forced to me, but to anyone who doesn't know her well she probably has the same sexy sway as always. "I killed one of your tributes in the bloodbath." Glimmer starts. "There's not a lot I can say about that. I can say more about Finch though."

"I can say how she was clever, but you all know that. I can say how much she did when she got a chance at an alliance, but everyone saw that. I can say how different things would have been, how far she could have gone if she'd been from a Career district, but I don't think anyone here wants to hear that."

"At first we let Finch join us just to see if she could do what she claimed; the idea was just too cool not to try. It was a lot more work than it sounded like to build, but the thing actually worked. I'd never seen anything like it, I don't know if anyone had. It was like something out of an old story or something. And when we were attacked, she stood her ground. She probably should have run and hid like she'd been doing before we met her, but she didn't. It wasn't her smartest move at all, but it probably was her bravest."

"Finch wasn't what I expected at all. She was small, didn't have any survival skills, didn't know how to use a weapon, she looked pretty, but not enough to be a real asset, overall she looked like nothing special at all. But I underestimated Finch. She showed how just plain being smart can be a huge asset, how it can make a difference, and she had a lot more guts than I thought from first looking at her."

"Finch was my friend. I haven't had a lot in my life, just two in fact, but I'm proud to say she was one of them. I'm proud of her, I think everyone here should be too. I miss her." Glimmer finally finishes.

Glimmer takes her seat and the crowd applauds. I'm not sure if her speech was what they were expecting; it probably was the most heartfelt one from a Career anyone here has ever heard. The applause dies down and I'm about to make my own speech when suddenly every single light in sight goes out.

It's only a second or two before some lights come on, obviously emergency lighting. It's thin, weak light, just enough to see squads of Peacekeepers rushing in, weapons at the ready. They practically lay siege to the entire square in front of the Justice Building, looking ready to kill anyone at the first sight of trouble.

The crowd doesn't seem like they're in on some mass protest like happened in 11; they look as confused as I am, and rather terrified of all the guns pointed in their direction now. Several Peacekeepers in officer uniforms on the stage near me are in a heated discussion. I try to listen in over the noise of the confused crowd, but I can only pick up bits and pieces. It seems to be an argument about whether this is a terrorist act and they should end the event or if it's just a coincidence and they should continue.

They argue back and forth for a bit, before the one I assume is in charge (at least he seems to have more decoration on his uniform) comes to a decision, walking to me. "Miss Everdeen, we feel it is safe to proceed, so if you would kindly take the stage we would like to get things moving again."

It may sound like a polite request, but the way he delivers it, it's an order. Terrorist attack or not the Peacekeepers are still obviously not happy. I get up and go to the microphone, making my prewritten, Capitol approved speech. I liked Finch too, but I knew Glimmer would be saying something special, just like I did for Rue. Two custom speeches is pushing it I think; Snow's patience has limits, and we probably are already past them, so whether I liked her or not I'll just have to hope Finch understands.

After my speech we're quickly ushered inside for the banquet. It's a rather odd one, lit by candles and emergency lights, with the local politicians rushing in and out to report to the higher ups who stay and try to look like things are normal. I'm not sure who they're trying to fool, but then I don't know who these banquets are supposed to be a show for even if they go right. I'm sure it's someone to do with the Capitol. Whoever it is, I can't imagine they're fooled.

The whole awkward affair is over in just under an hour and then we're back to the train, our cars escorted by armed Peacekeeper vehicles through the still dark district. Whoever it is driving the train wastes no time in leaving the station, departing as soon as the last of us is on board.

"That was, the absolute worst stop on a Victory Tour I've ever heard of." Cashmere complains. "Power comes from here, you'd think they could keep it on."

"Oh give it a rest already." Glimmer glares at Cashmere. "Who really cares if the lights are on or not? Not like it should make any difference to you, so stop complaining already."

Cashmere give Glimmer a cold look. "You're right, there are more important things to focus on, Glimmer. For instance the fact we're almost at the Capitol. Just four more stops and we're there."

The blood drains from my face. If I looked over at Glimmer I probably would see the same from her, but I can't tear my gaze away from Cashmere. Leave it to a textbook Career to bring that up.

Cashmere walks to Glimmer and I, leaning in, right between the two of us, the evil smirk never leaving her face and whispers to us. "They're going to fuck you raw."

**Author's Notes:**

I hope everyone likes Glimmer's speech, it took a while to get something I think worked, but I'm pretty pleased at how it came out. I hope it reads as well as I want it to. As always, thanks to my friend JB for help with edits. I'd love to hear from readers, comments, critiques and of course reviews are much appreciated. Thanks for reading.


	7. Water Water Everywhere

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Glimmer**

Today's district is 4. I didn't kill any of the tributes from here, but I did sort of like the girl from here, Vera. She was a bit too normal for her own good, unfortunately; Cato saw it as weakness. We weren't really close, but we were friendly. I'm not sure if I should say something about her or not.

I'm sure I'm already near my Snow imposed limit on speaking my mind, and even if I wasn't I still don't know if I'd say anything. I didn't kill her (a fact I'm very glad for), and I felt bad with how she did die (which I unfortunately saw firsthand), but we just plain didn't know each other that well. I'm just not sure what I'd say if I did make a speech.

Maybe it's better to say nothing, who knows; I'll probably keep thinking about it and going back and forth all day. Oh well, no point dwelling alone, might as well get breakfast. I walk to the dining car, give Katniss and Haymitch a wave and get a cup of coffee. I've just set it down at the table when I see what's outside the window: the train has just come out of the scrub brush and woods we were in and gone over a bridge. On the other side is an island with mounds of what almost looks like snow, with brilliant blue ocean just a short distance from the tracks.

"Are we in the right place?" I ask.

"What do you mean?" Katniss replies.

"Look out the window. Are those mounds of snow?"

Katniss turns and looks out the window, apparently as confused as I am.

"It's sand." Haymitch answers.

"That can't be sand. Sand is brown." Katniss rebuts.

"Well around here it's pure white, this real fine grain shit too. It looks like snow, but it's not."

The train crosses over another bridge, longer this time. On the far side is the town that's obviously District 4, but it's the water under us that I can't stop staring at. It's pure emerald green, bright and pure like no water I've ever seen.

"This is District 4?" Katniss asks.

"Yep" Haymitch confirms.

"Katniss, eat up, we're not staying on the train today." Katniss nods at my order.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." she replies.

Haymitch chuckles. "Yeah, kids are always like that when they see this place."

Katniss and I rush through breakfast, grab our stuff (I haven't actually needed a purse and sunglasses in days but here I will. Never know when you might find something you need to buy, and it's way too bright to skip sunglasses here. That and a girl has to look her best.) By the time the train stops we're ready to get off.

Walking to the beach I'm seeing a rather odd district. Maybe it's all the sun and heat, but this seems like one of the most relaxed places I've ever seen. People walk around at a slow, almost leisurely pace, they smile, even the buildings are painted in bright, cheerful colors.

"No one seems to be paying much attention to us." Katniss comments.

"Yeah. I'm guessing we're not the first Victors to do this."

"I'm not surprised; this place is so different from any other district I've ever seen."

We keep walking towards the beach. A few minutes later I see a sign for beach access on a wooden walkway leading over a huge white sand dune. But before I head there, there's one thing I want to do first.

"Hey Katniss, you know how to swim right?" I ask.

"Yeah, of course. Why?"

My response to Katniss is to grab her wrist and drag her into a store, leading her to the swimwear section. "All right Katniss, time to pick something out." I grin.

It's quickly apparent the poor girl is a total disaster when it comes to shopping. I know she grew up with no money but seeing a girl who has no idea how to shop is just somehow wrong on a very fundamental level. She's also a bit light on fashion sense and way too modest when it comes to swim suits.

Poor Katniss gravitates towards the most covering one pieces they have here, and she seems to have no idea what colors work for her. "You've got to be kidding me, Katniss." I make an overly dramatic sigh.

"Glimmer, I'm not going around in those tiny things you're looking at!"

"Geez Katniss, this isn't to go around the District, it's to wear at the beach."

"So what?"

This poor girl just doesn't get it; she really has no idea how to be a girl. All right, time to take matters into my own hands. "Hey! Hey! Glimmer! What are you doing?" Katniss yelps as I shove her into a dressing room.

"Oh stop being such a little girl Katniss. You're a lost cause when it comes to shopping and I don't have the time to teach you, so just be quiet and put on whatever I hand you, got it?"

"What? What are you talking about? How am I lost cause?"

"I'll explain later, for now, just trust me, you are." I pick a black bikini off the rack and hand it to Katniss in the dressing room.

"Glimmer! I'm not wearing this! There's barely any material here at all!"

"Katniss, that's one of the more modest bikinis here." It's actually true. Getting Katniss into even this is going to be a fight, never mind something really aggressive. "If you don't believe me you can see what I'm going to wear."

"You went on TV in front of all of Panem practically naked, Glimmer! You're hardly a judge of what's decent!" Oops, busted.

"Oh just stop being a baby and put it on, Katniss!"

From the sounds of the rustling in the dressing room Katniss is actually listening to me. Good. Now I just have to find something and we can get going. I grab an electric blue bikini off the rack and go into a dressing room of my own to change. By the time I get out Katniss is already waiting for me in her bikini, blushing like mad. It's oddly cute, actually.

"Um, how does it look?" Katniss asks.

"It looks good, Katniss. Trust me."

"And just how long am I going to be wearing this?"

"Relax, it's just at the beach. Besides, all the girls will be wearing something like that. Well, the ones with the body to pull it off at least…" I pose in my own bikini. "So how do I look?"

"Um, fine? I guess? You always look good really." Wow, she really is helpless at being a girl. I wonder if her sister is as bad. I somehow doubt it. Maybe Prim can help me with some remedial education for Katniss.

"Thanks, Katniss. You sure know how to sweet talk a girl."

I walk to the counter to pay, but before the checkout girl can even start ringing things up a male voice says "I'll take care of that."

"Who are you and why are you paying for our stuff?" Katniss demands of the tall, muscular man laying money on the counter. He has the sort of good looks that can land you on the cover of a magazine, and in his case have.

"Finnick Odair, at your service. And you two lovely ladies are Glimmer Aurum and Katniss Everdeen, of course."

"So what are you doing here?" Katniss is not in a trusting mood I guess. Well, if she wants to interrogate Odair I certainly won't stop her.

"Victors tend to find their way here, sooner or later. I wanted to come and meet the two newest members of our little club."

"Club? What, of Victors?"

"That's right. There's not many of us, and no matter how hard they try, non Victors can't quite understand us, not like other Victors can. We Victors have to stick together."

"Stick together? Cashmere doesn't seem to think so." Katniss frowns.

"Hmm. Let's take a walk; a store isn't the right place for this discussion. You two wanted to see the ocean after all, it's just outside."

Katniss looks at me and we shrug at each other and then head outside, Finnick following behind us. A short set of stairs up and over the dune and then we finally see it laid out before us: the ocean, pure glimmering emerald in the shallows, deep blue beyond, all crashing against the sand that even this close up still looks like snow.

"Amazing." I've never seen anything like it before.

"Yes, it's still beautiful, even if you've lived here all your life." Finnick agrees, walking past us and onto the sand, heading for the water's edge. Katniss and I eventually snap out of it and quickly walk after him.

We catch up to Finnick, who's standing ankle deep in the ocean. The water's warm, like my heated pool back in 1, but apparently it's warm enough in this district to be like this naturally.

The shoreline extends as far as I can see in each direction, and straight ahead the ocean is endless, going at least as far as the horizon. "How big is it?" I ask.

"The ocean? I don't actually know. Before the time of Panem there were maps, maps of all the world, but those are lost now; lost or locked in Capitol hands. I know it goes at least a hundred miles; boats from here have gone that far out and seen no indication of an end." Finnick answers.

"There must be an end somewhere." Katniss suggests.

"Very true, my dear. All things do indeed have an end; it's simply a matter of reaching them, isn't it?" Weird answer. I think Finnick's spent too much time in the Capitol; he's got that same weird indirect way of talking.

"So you mentioned Cashmere. I take it you don't know exactly what her problem is?" Finnick asks.

"Besides being a bitch?" I offer, to Finnick's amusement. "I'm guessing she thinks I'm a threat or a replacement or something like that?"

"Something like that, yes. Cashmere was the perfect District 1 tribute, as I'm sure you've seen. Beautiful, seductive, manipulative, all the traits that got the alliance doing her bidding and eventually stabbing each other in the back to win her favor. The girls from 2 and 4 didn't last long in that alliance, of course. The boys all fought to the death to see who got her and she strung the winner along until he was useless to her and then killed him; the very definition of a perfect District 1 girl's strategy."

"I know the strategy; I've watched her Games many times, and she was me mentor; I've been taught every detail."

"But you went off script." Finnick points out.

"Well duh. Everyone's seen that script, they all knew it and they all were expecting it. Heck, I'm sure Cato and Marvel were taught specifically to expect it."

"But it still could have worked."

I shrug. "Maybe. But I got the vibe Cato and Clove had a team thing going even within the alliance. Besides, I didn't really like Cashmere's strategy. I'm not above using my looks to get what I want, but practically whoring yourself to win? Yeah, that's where I draw the line."

"Fair enough, but why team up with District 12?"

"Well the Career pack already had before I teamed up with Katniss."

"They were using Peeta, not teaming up with him."

"Semantics." I wave dismissively.

"No, not at all. If it was the same thing you'd have turned on Katniss at some point. Maybe after destroying the Cornucopia."

"I guess I could have."

"So why didn't you?" he asks me.

"I didn't want to."

"You didn't want to? That's it?"

"What do you want to hear?" I snap. This is so getting away from the point!

"Well at first you said you wanted a grand duel at the end. I imagine that was true at the start, and I can certainly see it. After a bloodbath all the training feels so pointless; a lot of people would want to go against someone who can fight back. I think over time it evolved to something else though: friendship."

"Yeah fine, whatever. So what's this have to do with Cashmere?"

"What it has to do with her is all those crowds in the Capitol. Your strategy worked, and your alliance, your friendship it held together and it won. Before that Cashmere was the beautiful blonde, the favorite, the one that got all the attention; now she's old news."

"So she's a bitch because I'm the new hotness? Pfft. I don't even go to the Academy, she's still top chick there."

"Yes, I've heard you weren't welcome there; I'm sure she did it to try to marginalize you. But it didn't work out that way. The fact you went so far outside of the norm for Careers made you popular and unique, particularly in the Capitol. And since you did it outside what the Academy teaches, your not being there practically adds to your image, it doesn't detract."

"Ok, so what? Why's Cashmere care?"

"You must have noticed all the free time we Victors have by now? All those hours to fill? We aren't required to go to school or work, but we have to do something to keep sane. Some of us disappear into a bottle or a vial of morphling, but most of us find jobs to do. In Cashmere's case, being a mentor and trainer is part of it. But even more so, she's a celebrity."

"What the heck does that mean?" Katniss asks.

"She loves the Capitol; loves the recognition she gets, the adoration, the fans, the whole experience of feeling like she's important, larger than life even. She practically lives for that, the feeling of importance she gets from the people there."

"What, she doesn't have to do appointments when she's there or something?" Katniss wonders.

"No, she absolutely has to; we all do. Well, except for the drunks and the morphling addicts, but that's because no one wants to be with them."

"And she still loves the Capitol? Even though she's a damned prostitute?" I ask.

"At first she thought of it like that, but over time I think it's changed. I think for her it's just another sign of love, and a sign of how important she is."

"That's really messed up." Katniss mutters.

"Yeah, and the way she talks to us it's no privilege." I add.

"Well that's because she knows you two are dreading it. I think she wants to break you. Since your Games you two are all the Capitolites can talk about; she's old news now. All that attention she thrived on is gone, moved on to you two. But if you two break down, cry and things like that you'll just be a pair of used up tributes that came and went and maybe they'll pay attention to her again."

"So all this is just so she gets attention again?" Katniss asks.

"Well I'm sure there's some bitterness and desire for revenge in there too." Finnick replies.

"So like I said, she's a bitch." I nod.

Finnick chuckles. "Yes, I suppose you could put it like that." He stares off over the ocean again for a bit. "So, you know what Cashmere does with her time, but I'm curious what the two of you do."

Katniss and I look at each other. The info on Cashmere was nice, but this suddenly sounds like an interview; we need to be careful how we answer. I don't know what this guy's deal is at all, and certainly have no idea if he's just sizing us up or if these answers will get repeated somewhere else. Our phone line is illegal; the sort of illegal that gets a bullet put into your brain, so mentioning that is out. But besides that I don't think I have anything too terrible I have to censor out.

"I still work out; do the same practices as I always did at the Academy, that takes a lot of the morning. After lunch I like to swim as much as I can. Add in the usual errands and that's a lot of my time. Hmm, I've started dabbling in some gymnastics too. Other than that it's video games. A lot of video games." I answer. It's all true- just it glosses over a few things. Like my morning workout still being with weapons.

"Ah, so you got those swimsuits to actually use in the ocean not just show off, I see." Finnick nods. "And what about you, Katniss, what fills your days?"

"Um, I hunt a lot, usually with my friend Gale. Other than that, um, video games I guess." Katniss answers. It's not exactly an excitingsounding life when she puts it like that.

"Sounds like you two haven't exactly settled on what to do with your lives."

"Yeah well currently we're under orders to behave, be good little Victors, and then spread our legs on command. It's not much of a life for long term thinking." I snap. This interview crap is getting old.

Finnick nods. "Yes the appointments; miserable things. As I'm sure you've guessed I don't exactly have my reputation as a lady's man by choice…"

"And the TV says you're a famous player." I comment dryly.

"It also makes you think I'm single." Finnick replies with a frown.

"You're married?" I ask.

"Yes, very happily to a woman I love dearly. As if being a forced prostitute isn't bad enough, as if my first time being on an appointment wasn't enough, I'm forced to cheat on my wife regularly." Finnick doesn't even try to hide the scorn in his voice.

"Your first time was on an appointment?" It's a fate Katniss and I share.

"Unfortunately. It was awful, one of the worst experiences of my life. Capitolites think being with a virgin is a huge thrill, but once they get past the hype there's just anger at an inexperienced child rather than what they expect and paid good money for. That anger has only one place to go…"

Katniss pales, and I'm not sure I manage to keep much of a straight face either. "Oh god, you mean both of you? Oh I'm so sorry. I wish we had more time, I could try to do something to help…"

"Help? How the hell do you help with being a virgin! What, you think you're gonna get a shot at us or something?" I yell.

"Glimmer, I'm not trying to sleep with you. The only woman I want to ever sleep with again is a beautiful woman I love dearly and swore to honor and be true to. We're Victors, we don't always have a choice, and in this case I dearly wish you did. I could have told you what to expect, how to handle clients, and given enough time find someone here who could be your first time. It wouldn't be a great solution or romantic, but it would be better than some Capitolite."

I think I'm going to be sick. In a way I'm sure he's right, it would be better to have done this in advance, but how can it be my life has come to this? A lifetime of work and training and it all amounts to nothing but managing when and how I lose my virginity.

**Gale**

Well I'm alive; that's pretty much it for the good news. I can get light when I need it from the headlamp on my hardhat, but the battery doesn't seem like it's got a lot of life left in it, so I'm basically stuck in the dark unless I absolutely need light for a few moments. Besides that the only bright spot (so to speak) is that there's water dripping down into a small pool near me. It's a slow drip and it tastes disgusting, but it can keep me alive at least.

That's about it for things that are going good for me. For things that are going bad, well, there's a shitload. I'm not sure if I blacked out when this mine caved in or not; I hit my head on a rock when I hit the ground, just below the bottom of my helmet on the back of my head. It's actually really damned hard to tell if you've blacked out or not when you're stuck in total blackness.

The back of my head isn't bleeding too badly, it's still sore but it feels like it's mostly stopped. I also had a shitload of rocks fall on top of me. The ones that landed on my chest hurt like hell and even when I moved them off I'm sore, but at least I can breathe (For now. I don't know how much damned air is in here or what. For all I know, I might just pass out and never wake up at any time.)

The rocks that landed on legs are more of a problem. A lot of debris landed on my legs; I tried to move it off, but a lot is too big to budge. I can't move my legs, but I have no idea if that's because they're just pinned or because of major injury.

That's about it for the little pocket I'm trapped in; nobody else but me, nothing to see except if enough water has pooled to drink, and nothing I can do but wait. Wait to be rescued; wait to die. I don't have any real say in the matter. Even if I could move I'm not sure that trying to dig my way out would work; this while mess is so unstable I could bring down even more onto my head if I mess up.

I think I hear things in the distance now and then. It could be people trying to dig their way to me, but it could be just rocks slipping and settling too, I'm not sure. Hell, it could be my imagination playing tricks on me too. That feels like it's happening more and more lately. It's totally dark, way past anything my eyes can adjust to, the air is hot and humid and doesn't change at all, so most of my senses are useless. Nothing to eat, nothing to smell, that just leaves my hearing basically.

The mind's weird; cut it off enough and it starts imagining things. It's subtle at first, like the noises I hear now and then. It could really be people searching for survivors, but it could be that my mind wants someone to be trying to save me, so is pretending it hears them. It's pretty fucked up stuff.

I turn on the light again, looking to see if there's enough water pooled to drink. It turns out I'm in luck; there isn't a lot, but the pool is deep enough for me to reach and get a drink out of. (When your legs are pinned reaching things really is a pain in the ass.) The water tastes gritty, warm, and disgusting, and if I survive this I'll probably be running to the bathroom every ten minutes for a week. Well, assuming I'll still be able to run; that could be wishful thinking on my part here.

It'll be a while before there's enough water to drink again, so I turn the light off; I can't waste the batteries. Even if the water tastes like shit, at least it's something I know is real. The warm water that tastes like piss, the grit that's stuck on my tongue and between my teeth, it gives me something to focus on besides the damned sounds I keep hearing. (Or think I'm hearing.)

**Katniss**

I see what Glimmer gets out of swimming. The ocean was warm, and a bit salty, and an awful lot of fun for me. For Glimmer though, it was something more; it was like how Gale and I are in the woods. She really was in her element, the first time I've seen her like that that didn't involve holding a weapon. It's also one of the first times I've ever seen her genuinely smile. The only other time I can recall is when we were actually crowned Victors.

Finnick has watched us with a little smile for several hours. I tried to keep track of what he was doing and try to figure out what he's smiling about, but honestly it's just too much fun playing in the ocean. Finally he calls us in from shore. "I think it's time to come in girls." I have the odd impression parents say this to their kids in District 4 a lot.

"Is it that late already?" Glimmer asks.

"Sort of. You two haven't eaten since breakfast I imagine, so I thought we'd stop by my house, grab lunch before getting you two back to your prep teams."

"So we get to meet your wife?" I wonder. Is this another test? See how we react to her? Maybe how she reacts to us? I'm not sure. I wish I could trust him, but the feeling that there's more to Finnick Odair than he lets on is unavoidable.

"Yes, she should be home."

Glimmer and I look at each other. It's times like this that make me really wish she could talk without words like Gale can with me. I try my best to guess what her expression means. Seems like 'Is this a good idea?' is a good guess. I give a little nod in response.

"Sure, why not." Glimmer smiles. I don't actually know if it's a good idea or not, but since Finnick isn't going to tell us what his game is, we'll just play along and hope we can guess.

It turns out District 4's Victor's Village isn't far away at all, and right on the beach. No real surprise there, if I could live anywhere in this district right on the beach would be my choice too. It's a large, airy house with a screened in pool behind it. (What, are bugs a big problem here or something?) Victors here have bright, colorful houses with orange tile roofs. It's an odd look, but it works here.

Finnick walks in like he owns the place (I guess he does, actually), going through the back pool area and into the house. "I'm home!" he announces.

"Oh, Finnick, hello! Did you meet those two girls you were looking for?" a soft sounding female voice calls from inside.

"Yes, I did; they're with me in fact. Annie, this is Glimmer and Katniss."

We follow Finnick into his house and see Annie, a pretty girl with long brown hair and green eyes. The surprising part about her is her age: she looks like she's barely a year or two older than Glimmer or I.

It turns out Annie's a very pleasant, if somewhat haunted girl. All through lunch (which is quite tasty and a very nice, normal affair; apparently whatever game Finnick is playing is suspended around Annie.) she has these moments where she starts to drift, for lack of a better word. She just starts staring into space, or makes a tiny little eep and covers her ears.

Every time it happens Finnick is there, arm around his wife, gently whispering to her; whatever he says works, because as soon as he's done speaking Annie comes out of it. Glimmer and I don't say anything about it; it seems normal enough to Annie and Finnick, so no point in rocking the boat.

After lunch, Finnick offers to walk us back to the train station. Glimmer and I have no idea how to get there from here, so we take him up on the offer. Besides, whatever game Finnick is playing is going to have an endgame now, and personally I'm curious to see it.

Not long after we've left Victor's Village Glimmer and I look at each other, walking just a bit behind Finnick. Once again I wish she could communicate with me like Gale can, but the look on her face seems to be asking if we should go on the offensive. I nod a bit to her.

"So Finnick." I start. "Annie's a really nice girl."

"Yes, she is." he agrees.

"What happens with her sometimes though?"

Finnick hesitates just a bit. "The Capitol heals all the scars on our bodies, but the worst are the ones their medicine can't touch." Ah, so that's it. Glimmer and I get nightmares, Annie got worse.

"How come I've never heard of you being married?" Glimmer asks.

"Ah, well, that's a bit, um, awkward. You see, Annie and I were quietly married here in 4, but it had to be kept quiet. We can't have rich Capitolites feeling guilty about paying for appointments with a married man, after all."

"Wow, Snow's a bastard." Glimmer frowns.

"I agree. I doubt he would have let us get married if he'd known in advance. As it is Annie still has her maiden name so no one will catch on. But even that wasn't enough to spare me from paying a price…"

"So if you aren't a fan of Snow what's all this for?" I ask.

"All what?" Finnick looks at me.

"All this. The whole interview or whatever you've been doing."

"Interview?" he plays dumb.

"Oh please." Glimmer rolls her eyes. "You've been talking like a Capitolite. The whole talk a lot and dance around a topic and hope no one notices a thing. You could have sold it as just how you are except for lunch when you were actually normal. So what's the deal? Spill already."

Finnick stops and looks at us, stone faced. I'll give him credit, he's good. He's totally busted, but he's not showing it. Of course the fact he stopped walking and we saw him in his natural element at his house a few minutes ago makes the change a bit more obvious and jarring.

He looks us over; I know predators and prey well enough to know his mind is racing, trying to find the right angle; escape or attack. Finnick's a Victor though, like us. And like us he knows he has to act quickly to try and salvage something.

"You say I sound like a Capitolite? Well I've spent enough time there; I've learned a lot there, including how to talk like one I suppose. And like you both have learned by now, there's what goes on all across Panem on the surface and what goes on for real. I wanted to see what you two are like and how you might wind up fitting in, both for show and for real." Finnick gives us his charming Capitol smile. "The train station is just ahead. I should get back to my wife. I'm sure I'll see you both at the banquet tonight. You ladies have a pleasant afternoon."

Finnick bows to us, an old courtly sort of gesture and heads back the way we came, making sure to be fast enough to outrun any questions.

I look at Glimmer. "I'm really getting tired of people who talk like that."

"I say the next person that does it we tie up and beat some straight answers out of them." Glimmer suggests. I don't disagree.

**Author's Notes:**

Another chapter down, getting ever closer to the Capitol. As always thanks to my friend JB for help with editing. I'd love to hear from readers, comments, critiques and reviews are great, I love getting them, so please, if you have something to say feel free; it's great to hear from readers. As always, thanks for reading.


	8. Blondes Firmly in the Driver's Seat

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Glimmer**

Our prep teams were pretty ticked at us when we got back to the train; lots of complaining about having to wash off all the salt water and things like that. Whatever; it was totally worth it. Vera had told me about the ocean so I knew it was there, but there's hearing about it and then there's seeing it.

It was amazing; vast, endless even; a bit too salty to drink, and warm, just like Vera said. Swimming in that water was an unbelievable experience. It makes my pool back home look like a birdbath. If I was allowed, I'd love to get a house on the beach here, but of course, that sort of thing is banned.

Travel between districts is prohibited. Short of things associated with the Games like this tour the only people who really travel are on Capitol business, or the regular things like the mail, but no people. In Panem you basically live in the district you're born in and never set foot outside for your entire life. So given the only way I'm probably ever going to see this place again is as a mentor for a winning tribute I think today was time well spent.

The complaining and angry chatter of my prep team is small price to pay for getting to actually swim in that ocean. I know I shouldn't, but I think of them as almost the same as avoxes. Both are capitol creations, both used to be people but now are something else. The avoxes aren't like that by choice, but these people are. The avoxes are supposedly all criminals against the Capitol, but somehow I think being like that by choice is actually worse.

So I don't mind all the added hassle of an angry prep team. I haven't felt genuinely happy very many times as a Victor. There was when I was crowned, of course, when I got that illegal line to talk to Katniss (I could go days without talking to someone before that), maybe even when I met Katniss' family and that Gale guy, and then today. With so few good memories in the past half year I'm willing to suffer a lot for one more.

After the scolding and chatter of my prep team comes dressing for the banquet. Tonight's dress is green as the primary color; Cinna claims he picked it to match my eyes. He's a strange one, pleasant, nice helpful, and for all the mystery about him, his desire to actually help Katniss and I seems genuine. It also helps when he does things like compliment the color of my eyes.

The night's speeches are uneventful readings of the pre-prepared Capitol stuff (I don't dare rock the boat again; I asked Finnick to talk to Vera's parents for me, I'll just hope he follows through.) It's as uneventful and by the book as Snow wants. I wondered if the banquet might be different, but apparently not.

With all the weird behavior from Finnick earlier I just sort of assumed that he'd continue tonight; more interviews or something. Instead he's barely said a word to Katniss or I. A polite greeting when we showed up and then he spent most of the night talking to Haymitch. Actually, I suppose that does qualify as weird behavior: someone actually spending time with Haymitch by choice.

Apparently we're not getting any answers about what's going on. Finnick seems done with whatever it is he was doing, and Haymitch never talks about what's going on; he just tells us enough to survive, that's about it. So what Katniss and I both thought would be an interesting night turns out to just be more of the same: politicians taking pictures with us, looking like they care then once they have their photo op we get the usual neglect.

District 3 is your typical forgettable visit, but I know 2 won't be like that. It looks pretty enough out the window at breakfast; mountainous, wooded, probably pleasant outside. We're far enough north that it won't be hot. Heck, I'm sure Katniss would love going out to hunt in this sort of place. Shame she won't get a chance.

"Ok, listen up, kids." Haymitch jars me out of my thoughts at breakfast. "I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to either of you, but they're gonna hate the shit out of you two here. They had two real hardcore tributes and you two killed them both."

"I know that, Haymitch. We were there, after all." I roll my eyes.

Haymitch ignores me and continues on. "So there's two ways you can play today. You can try to be all meek and apologetic and shit like that and just basically keep your heads down and suffer through it, or you can tell them to kiss your ass."

"Tell them to kiss our ass?" Katniss asks.

"Yeah. They respect strength here, so showing strength might work. They'll still hate you, but if you put up a tough front, brag how you killed the shit out of their tributes they may hate you quietly from a distance. But whatever you two do, you need to be reading from the same script."

Katniss and I look at each other. "How you want to play it, Glimmer?" she asks me.

"Come on, you should know me well enough by now to know the answer. The question is, are you ok with playing it that way?"

"Gloating over killing people?"

"Well, that might not be exactly how I'd put it, but basically, yeah." I nod. "I know it's not your style, but is apologizing better? Cato and Clove weren't aberrations; District 2's tributes are always like that, so I imagine their families and the people here in general are too."

"You're judging an entire district based on its tributes?"

"Well, sort of. I mean, look at 12, usually malnourished kids and let's face it, it's a poor district. Finch was smart and 5's full of engineers and stuff. Vera was laid back and 4 is this weird vacation paradise. And, well, tomorrow you'll see 1 and I imagine you'll see I represent it pretty well in a lot of ways. So yeah, it's not exact, but it sort of is a hint."

"So you really want to brag about your kills, Glimmer?" Katniss looks at me, her expression a mix of disappointment and disbelief.

"No, Katniss, I don't. What I want to do is get through this as painlessly as possible, and I think that's probably the best way to do it. We just act for a few hours and that's it. We don't even have to say anything much, just project the right attitude and it should be enough."

"So you want me to just act all tough?" Haymitch and I sweat. Katniss' acting is not her strong suit by any means.

"Um, maybe just try to follow my lead?"

"If you want to sell it, sell it before you even get there." Haymitch suggests.

"Huh? How?" Katniss asks.

"Sell it to Cashmere. She's a Career and all that, if she's acting all pissy to you two then it'll work a lot better."

"So we have to mouth off to Cashmere? Yeah, I can do that." I grin. This is definitely the better choice here.

The day proceeds normally from there up till the late afternoon. We're all assembled on the train, just before we set out for the cars. This is the time to start selling the attitude to Cashmere; the only question is how to start it, if I have to think of something or if she'll give us an opening.

"You know this is the home stop for most Victory Tours. More Victors come from here than any other district, even 1." Well, she's volunteering to start. Great.

"Is that so?" I ask, playing at being bored.

"Yes, it is so. They train hard, they stay on plan and they know the value of the right allies."

"And then they almost get their head cut off and a sword through the heart. Oh yeah, or an arrow through the eye." Cashmere frowns at that. It might be enough, a subtle sort of thing, but I was told to play it up and I'm going to do just that. "I wonder Cashmere, who were you cheering for once I left the Career pack, because I know it wasn't me. The only parachutes we got were from Haymitch, so it's obvious you weren't cheering for me, as if your attitude wasn't hint enough. So who was it? Who were you hoping to see kill me?"

"Clove, if you must know. She had such a touch with blades, I wanted to see what you'd look like, what the expression on your face would be the exact moment she broke you. But it wasn't to be, not then at least."

"Not then, not ever." I grin.

"Oh really? The day after tomorrow we're at the Capitol;see how you stand up to that." Cashmere turns on her high heel and storms off the train onto the platform.

"Well you got her attention." Haymitch chuckles.

"I enjoyed it too." I grin.

Cashmere doesn't come back, so we leave without her. As we're getting in the cars I see her through the window of the train station hanging up a phone before she comes out. Wow, I made her cry to someone on the phone? Cool.

**Prim**

They pulled Gale out of the mine last night. He was unconscious, but alive. I'm not sure how he stayed alive all that time buried under there, but somehow he did. He's pretty dehydrated and banged up, especially his legs. No broken bones thankfully, but he'll be pretty sore and have to take it easy for a while just the same.

I have a few spare minutes so I'm heading upstairs to see if he's awake; judging from the pained groaning I'm hearing he is, and probably already overdoing it. I open the door and find Gale sitting up, looking like he plans to try and leave.

"Gale Hawthorne, what do you think you're doing?" I demand.

Gale freezes and looks at me. "Prim?"

"That's right, now lie back down and rest."

"What happened? What am I doing in your house?"

"You're lying back down, that's what you're doing." I scowl at Gale. It's nothing personal, but difficult patients need a firm hand.

Gale looks at me, seemingly considering his options. Finally he gets back in bed; I'd like to think it's my firm look that does it, but somehow I don't think so.

"Um, what exactly happened?" Ah, so that's it; he wants answers and figured I'd be too stubborn to tell him anything if he didn't cooperate.

"How much do you remember?"

"I remember some idiot started a cave in; I remember being trapped with my legs pinned, and I remember water, a little to drink now and then, and that's about it. I'm pretty sure I passed out a few times along the way…"

"Well that about covers it. A bunch of people were trapped, they've been pulling them out for days, some alive, some not."

"Days?" Gale asks.

I nod. "It's been a while, yeah. That's why you're in such rough shape."

"How bad am I?"

"Well, actually, really lucky is how I'd put it. No food for a few days isn't good, but a few days of normal food and that'll be no big deal. You were pretty dehydrated too, but again, now that you can drink properly you'll be fine. You got pretty banged up, especially on the legs. You'll be sore and probably have a tough time moving around, but since nothing got broken there's no lasting damage."

"So I got lucky then."

I nod. "Really lucky. Well, until Katniss finds out at least."

"Gale shifts uncomfortably. "Um, yeah, about that, Prim. Can we just not mention any of this to her?"

"Not mention you were in an accident in the mine? The accident everyone's still talking about at the mine that's still closed? You don't think she'll figure it out?"

"Um, well, you see, I sort of never told Katniss I'm in the mines in the first place."

I blink. Did I just hear that right? "Wait. She doesn't know? How, um, how exactly does that work?"

"Well she was so busy obsessing over the Victory Tour and all, so it just never came up."

"It never came up?" I almost yell.

"Well it's not like I lied to her, I just didn't volunteer information!"

"And how did you see this winding up, Gale? You must have known even my sister would figure something odd was going on sooner or later!"

"Look, Prim, I didn't think long term! You know how it is; everyone's being forced into the mines to meet those quotas, I didn't volunteer or anything! I was always going to wind up there anyway, I'm just there a bit sooner than we all expected, that's all."

"You going with that story for Katniss or are you working on a better one?" I ask evenly.

"I'm working on a better one." Gale assures me.

"Make sure you work real hard; I don't think you'll be able to outrun her in your condition."

**Katniss**

It's going to be a busy day today. It's District 1, and I know Glimmer's going to drag me all over the place. I'm looking forward to it, really; if what Glimmer said is true and Districts reflect their tributes then I want to see what sort of weird place produced that girl.

At breakfast Glimmer is dressed in typical fashion (everything's tight, short, low cut and with her beloved heels) and full of energy. "I guess I don't need to ask if you two have plans today." Haymitch comments.

"Well Katniss showed me her house in 12; it's only fair I show her around 1, right?"

"Fair huh? Well just don't be late tonight; you all know the drill. And at least try to stay out of trouble."

"Why Haymitch, do I look like the sort who'd ever get into trouble?"

"Girl, the pretty ones are always trouble."

Glimmer tries what I assume is her best innocent smile at Haymitch. Innocent isn't really within Glimmer's acting range.

"Yeah, whatever. No skin off my back." Haymitch shrugs.

I rush breakfast. It's not that the food isn't good or anything like that; it's that I'm pretty sure as soon as Glimmer's done eating I'll get dragged off the train, so I'm on the clock. It turns out Glimmer isn't quite as impatient as I figured; she waits for me to finish and actually put my fork down before grabbing me and dragging me off.

She has me off the train and going down the street (one of the nicest I've ever seen; clean, pretty, but not as sterile as the Capitol streets). "I wonder Katniss, how often does Prim do this to you?"

"Huh? Do what?" I look at her, while struggling to still keep pace.

"Drag you around like this."

"What? Why would you ask a thing like that?" I sweat.

"You seem used to being dragged off by an insistent blonde. And because it's true." Glimmer grins.

"What?! What do you mean it's true? How can you talk like you're so sure?"

"At first you acted way too defensive, and then when you didn't deny it you might as well have screamed 'You're right, Glimmer!'"

Geez, am I really that easy to read? "Well, ok, maybe a few times. But she's my little sister, I love her, there's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Not at all."

"Oh, so what, you just wanted to tease me?"

"Pretty much. But if you don't like being teased about how you're bossed around by blonde girls all the time I could just hit on you. I still remember how fun that was in the Games."

I blush. A lot. "Hey! That was on TV! If you keep that up people are going to start getting ideas!"

Glimmer puts a finger to her lips and makes a loud 'hmm' noise. I swear sometimes she lives like she's on camera all the time. "I dunno, always around blondes, always being bossed around by them, sort of seems to me like you've got a thing for the sort of girls that'll take control of your life, make you the nice kept girlfriend."

"Hey! Come on now! I'm not like that!"

"Well have you gotten anywhere with Gale?"

"Well, no…" Uh oh. Even I can see where her train of thought is going here.

"Now why could that be? I wonder. Could it be because you're giving a certain hot blonde a chance to come in and make her move?"

"No way!"

"Hmm, you already had one blonde make a declaration of love when Caesar was interviewing them, and we have our own interview tomorrow. Should I start rehearsing what to say?"

I feel the blood drain out of my face. "You wouldn't dare."

"I dunno, it'd be quite the shocking revelation. Imagine the reaction we'd get. From twin Victors to lovers? Wow, they'd never stop talking about us!"

"I could never show my face in District 12 again!"

"That's ok Katniss. My bed's big enough for us both." And thankfully that's as far as Glimmer manages to get before nearly collapsing in a fit of giggles.

"Geez, it's not that funny, Glimmer." I deadpan.

"Oh yes it is!" her laughing undeterred.

"What if someone heard you?"

"Oh come on, Katniss. There's nobody around, no microphones listening in, no cameras watching, this is one of those rare times it's just us, so relax already. It doesn't happen often, so try to actually enjoy it while you can."

"I guess." I answer weakly.

"Oh come on, we're supposed to be having fun today, so loosen up already."

"Loosen up about having sex with you?"

Glimmer stops and looks at me. "Did Katniss Everdeen actually make a joke? Wow. I'm amazed."

I didn't exactly mean it as a joke, but if that's how she wants to take it I won't go correcting her.

"Look, Katniss, you have to keep in mind this is probably the last day we'll ever be together and actually able to do what we want. Tomorrow is the Capitol, after that the only time we'll probably ever meet is when we're both mentoring. You'll be doing it every year, but District 1 has quite a few winning girls; I'll only be a mentor every few years."

Damn, that's a sobering thought; she's right; today's it. A few days as mentors, the odd Victory Tour where one of our tributes visits 12 or 1, and that's it. All we'll have left is that secure phone line, but that's not much at all. It's been nice to talk, sure. Glimmer's been about the only one who actually knew what it meant to be a Victor, but since the start of this miserable tour it's been different.

There's just something so different about talking face to face than talking on a phone line. As different as we are, I've actually enjoyed spending time with her, and now that's almost over; just one more thing the Capitol's taken away.

I sigh and have to stop myself from listing off all the things the Capitol has taken away in my life. It might be satisfying to rant in a Gale-like way, but it wouldn't accomplish anything but wasting time. "You're right, we do only have a bit of time; we shouldn't waste it."

"Good, glad to hear it." Glimmer smiles. "Besides, we're here."

I look up and see we are indeed apparently here. Glimmer's house in Victor's Village is large, like mine (both in fact are absurdly large). But while mine looks generally like a very oversized normal house, Glimmer's is a mix of normal house and a lot of steel and glass. It's like a cross between the fancy Capitol architecture and normal houses. It's pretty over the top for my taste, but I imagine it fits Glimmer perfectly.

"So, let me give you the grand tour."

The living room is generally like mine. The furniture's a bit different style (not that I know what the name for this style or the one in my house is.) but it's not too far off from my house. After all, how different can a living room be? Heck, even Capitol ones are actually recognizable, and those people can pervert anything.

Glimmer's family room is generally like mine, but while my mom insists we keep it presentable for guests (which means not turning it onto a TV and video game room basically) Glimmer isn't restrained like that at all. The huge TV, the game box, the controllers, the huge speakers, the entire room is set up just for that. "Don't entertain a lot of guests in here?" I ask.

"Katniss, you're about the third person to come in here. Just my parents and you. So no, I don't do a whole lot of dinner parties or whatever the heck you'd normally use this room for."

"Oh." I lamely state. It's still weird, thinking of this girl as having no friends; it just seems so irrational. A girl like Glimmer and I'm the sociable one with the most friends? That's just wrong.

The next room is the kitchen; Glimmer's nearly pristine kitchen. It looks practically unused. I swear some of the cabinets look like they haven't ever been opened. "Geez, have ever been in this room before, Glimmer?"

"Of course I have! I use the microwave every day!"

"No real food comes out of that thing! You're supposed to use a stove or an oven or something like that to make real food!"

"Yeah, but that takes actually knowing how to cook."

"What do you mean?" I ask. "How hard is it to make a simple stew or something? You just toss a few things into the pot and leave it to cook. What's there to know?"

"They didn't exactly teach cooking at the Academy you know."

"But doesn't that microwave stuff taste awful?"

"Well it's not like the Capitol food, but it's not much worse than what we had at the Academy." She doesn't exactly deliver that answer with much conviction.

"You never thought of learning to cook? Take a class or something? There's got to be someone that can teach you here in 1, no?"

"Thought about it." Glimmer shrugs. "Might learn sometime, paying a guy to teach me gymnastics for now instead."

"Gymnastics?"

"Yeah, you know, flips and vaults and stuff like that. I always thought it looked cool, so I figured I'd learn. I mean, it's something physical so I should be good at it, right?"

"Um, I guess?" What do I know about gymnastics?

"Well, I can do some of it, but turns out tall and well endowed isn't the ideal build; for gymnastics at least. For the rest of life, tall with big boobs is totally where it's at. Oh well, I still mess with it, it's kind of fun, and yeah, some of it actually does look cool."

"Oh. Well, um, that's good I guess." I guess looking cool's reason enough for Glimmer to do something. I suppose when you have all the time in the world, more money than you could ever hope to spend things like looking cool can rank pretty high.

Glimmer leads me out behind her house, where her pool is. It's absolutely massive, some fifty yards long, with several diving boards at different heights and a small house on the far side of it. "Glimmer, this is huge. This is all just for you?"

"I don't really have people over too often, so yeah, just me."

"But it's so big. You need all this?"

Glimmer shrugs. "Do I need it? Probably not. But I wanted it, and this is how long pools for swimming laps are. Some standard that goes back before Panem or something. Besides, it's not like paying for it is a problem."

"I guess…" To me the money's never been something I'm proud of. In fact I feel bad spending it, especially in public. District 12 is so poor, and growing up I never much liked the few people who did have money. Yes I know, it's weird I'd wind up friends with a girl who grew up with money, but Madge never flaunted it. Glimmer doesn't seem to care at all though.

"Do you ever feel bad, showing off the money so much?"

Glimmer looks at me oddly. "Why would I? I worked hard to win, I trained all my life and I worked hard in the Games; I earned this money. Besides, I'm not like you; I don't come from a district I feel all attached to. Most of District 1 doesn't exactly look up to me, so what do I care if they look at me with jealousy or not?"

"Oh. I guess it's different for you then."

"Look, you like your district, they seem to like you there and I know you didn't grow up rich, I get that. So yeah, big change with the money in a super poor district; I see how it can be weird. But 1 is as rich as it gets for the Districts, and I just don't have a connection to the place like you, so it's no big deal to me; if I want to spend my money I do it, that's all there is to it."

"That makes sense I suppose."

"Yeah yeah, skip the feeling sorry for poor Glimmer bit. Life isn't always nice and cuddly, we both know that. You just make the best of it, and for me that means a huge pool. Now come on, the tour isn't quite done yet."

Glimmer leads the way back into the house, taking me through what she calls her 'training room', which seems to be a mini Academy, complete with wooden weapons of every conceivable sort. I'm not sure what she's expecting, but I don't have a lot to say. Fighting is something I want to stay far away from for the rest of my life.

The tour finally ends in Glimmer's room. Like the rest of the house, it's large and airy, with this particular room dominated by a huge, fluffy looking bed. I know from experience that the beds in these mansions are every bit as soft and comfortable as they look.

Glimmer continues on to another door and opens it, turning to me with a look of pride. Inside is a closet (the size of a room in any normal person's house) that contains shelf after shelf of shoes. Nothing but shoes, endless racks of Glimmer's high heels.

I stare in utter amazement. I knew she liked to shop, but this is insane, even for her. "Geez Glimmer, overdoing it a bit?"

"What do you mean?" She tries looking innocent. Maybe Glimmer's a better actress than I am (at least according to Haymitch) but innocent just isn't a look she's capable of pulling off.

"You know exactly what I mean!"

"What? I like shopping, I like shoes. What's the big deal?"

"You don't think this is way over the top?"

Glimmer shrugs. "I thought I was pretty much always over the top, Katniss." I just roll my eyes. Knowing her she planned this just to see my reaction. "Come on, I want to show you something else."

"What, your makeup table or something?"

"No offense but I think Prim would know more of what's on there than you do. And no, not my makeup table. We're headed for the garage."

"The garage? Hmm, that's right, you said you had a car, didn't you?"

"That's right." Glimmer smiles. Now come on. She picks up a set of keys from a table and heads off, with me following along.

A door on the far side of the house leads to the garage, and Glimmer's car in it. It's this sleek low slung white thing, angular and shiny. The cars the Capitol's had us in going to and from the train are dark colored and boxy, nothing like this thing Glimmer owns.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Glimmer grins. "Come on, get in."

Glimmer opens the driver's door, which somehow swings upward, not out. I carefully open the strange door and get in. The inside is leather and surprisingly small. Glimmer and I fit in these seats, but I'm pretty sure Gale would find them cramped. "Sort of tight in here, isn't it?"

"A bit. The engine takes up a lot of room." Glimmer explains. She pushes a button and the garage door opens. A turn of a key later and the engine roars to life. It's not like any of the Capitol cars; those had an engine, you could hear it, sure, but they were much more muted. Here it's almost like the engine being loud is the point.

Glimmer slowly drives out of the garage and down the driveway. I don't really see the big deal about this car. Sure it looks unique and all, but really, it's smaller than the Capitol cars we've been in, I don't get it.

The car reaches the street and that loud engines roars to life again, with something (the tires maybe?) squealing as the machine takes off down the road. I'm pinned in my seat by the acceleration. None of the Capitol cars ever did this! Not even their trains do, and I'm pretty sure we're moving almost as fast as they do.

I yelp as I'm pressed against the side of the car as Glimmer takes a turn. There's no way it's safe going this fast! "Um, Glimmer? Glimmer?" I look over at her only to see her laughing with this crazy glint in her eyes.

"What's up, Katniss?" she asks, taking a really obviously deliberate look at me and not out the windshield full of things coming at us way faster than needed to kill us both.

"Glimmer, watch the road!" I yell.

"I watch the road, you're not happy, I look at you, you're not happy. You're really high maintenance, you know that?"

"You're one to talk!" Seriously, Glimmer calling me high maintenance? She's the definition of high maintenance. "Wait, that's something you say about a girlfriend!" Glimmer just laughs and keeps on tearing down the road.

**Author's Notes:**

And that's the last District. Now there's just a few hours train ride between the girls and the Capitol. Next chapter we'll be there and see exactly what it has planned for our heroines.

Thanks as always to my friend JB for help with grammatical edits. I'd love to hear from people with comments or critiques, and like every author I love reviews, so thanks to everyone who leaves one, and like usual thanks for reading.


	9. Miserable Fates

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Katniss**

I don't remember a lot of the banquet in 1 last night. I know I was looking forward to meeting Glimmer's parents, but honestly, the whole thing was sort of hazy. It's all Glimmer's fault! Her and that stupid insane car of hers. Seeing the look on her face I'm convinced now that girl is more insane that Cato and Clove put together, and frankly, her driving scares me more than either of those two ever did.

I spent who knows how long holding on for dear life as she tore all over District 1. I've never been one for those long manicured nails some girls have, but I'm rethinking that now. The way they'd dig in to the upholstery in that car might have given me enough grip to be a bit less terrified.

After that the day was sort of a blur, kind of like everything outside the window. I think I finally managed to keep my yelping under control, and I vaguely remember Haymitch making some comments about women drivers.

I only sort of remember Glimmer's parents. They were nice and polite, with her mom, not surprisingly, looking like an older version of Glimmer, but without the out of control ego. Actually they had manners almost like Madge: polite, well mannered, good posture, everything you'd expect of a nice proper couple. And they kind of blended into the background like she can.

Funny thing was, they never seemed to get past small talk. Ok, I can see with me, I'm just some hick girl from 12, there's not a lot to talk to me about that doesn't involve the Games, and that's a topic I'm decidedly glad to avoid. But they seemed like that with their own daughter too. It was more like casual acquaintances than a family. They seemed to like each other well enough; just they didn't really know each other, so they talked like people with no actual connection to each other.

I know Glimmer had told me about it, but I didn't really think it'd be like that; I figured she was just exaggerating or playing things up like, well, she does sometimes. But no, it really was like she said. I think I might actually know Glimmer better than her own parents now. Maybe weird family life is another thing Victors have in common?

"You look like shit, sweetheart." Haymitch greets me as I sit down for breakfast.

Is Haymitch of all people making fun of how I look in the morning? That's a new low for me. "Like you look any better?"

"No, but I'm hung over. What's your excuse? Don't tell me you're still terrified of princess' driving?"

"I had nightmares about that stupid car all night!"

"And people wonder why I prefer to get piss drunk and pass out every night."

That's Haymitch's answer to nightmares? I think this is one of his plans I'll pass on. Sleep may not be my friend, but I can't imagine just giving up on everything and hiding behind booze for the rest of my life.

I start to wonder whether Haymitch was seriously telling me why he drinks or that was just a throwaway line, but I don't get far; the sound of the train's automatic door opening means Glimmer's here.

I look up and see she looks almost as bad as I do. "You have nightmares about women drivers like sweetheart here did, princess?" Haymitch asks.

"No; the fact we'll get to the Capitol today." Glimmer answers.

Haymitch nods, visually sobering up in seconds. "Yeah. Afraid there's not a ton of help I can offer with this one; this is actually my first Victory Tour as a mentor."

"Wow, I'm just so reassured." Glimmer grumbles.

Ignoring her, Haymitch continues. "In theory we'll get to the Capitol, you go to the Remake Center, there's a brief TV appearance with Caesar, Snow reads the card for the Quell and then there's a big party. Kind of like the usual banquet shit, but bigger and full of Capitol types."

"In theory?" I ask.

"Well, at some point you two are going to be dragged off to talk to Snow. And that big party? Right after that, some lucky Capitolites get to take you two home for your first appointment. Depending what they pay, an appointment can be as little as an hour or as long as all day."

"And just how many appointments do we have?" Glimmer asks in a guarded voice.

"I won't know until we get there, but as popular as you two are you should expect a lot. Maybe two weeks' worth? Maybe more. And unless someone books a whole damned day figure on several a night"

I feel sick; I shouldn't have eaten breakfast. Two weeks of being rented out as a sex slave who knows how many times a day? Maybe more than two weeks? Raped again and again and having to grin and act like I want it unless I decide to take a train ride home to attend a funeral instead?

Rue, Finch, Peeta, I watched them all die in the Games. I was sad, and I cried for each one; how unfair it was, how they should have lived long and happy lives. But now I can't help but feel jealous of them. The Capitol stole them all from their homes and families, it hurt them, tortured them even, but in the end, they all escaped the Capitol's reach and got to go home to stay.

Victors have money for all the best health care, plenty of food, the best clothes and a massive roof over our heads; we want for nothing. And almost without fail we all live long lives. Back in the Seam I didn't think I'd love to see forty, even thirty was pushing it. But now? I can see eighty; maybe a hundred even. I'm eighteen. That means I'll have decades and decades of this, being whored out probably thousands of times. I don't know if I can do it.

I look over at Glimmer, my partner for all things Capitol and see she's having the same thoughts as I am. She looks me in the eye, almost like she's search for something. After a moment she leans over and whispers to me. "I can show you how to make it fast and painless if you need."

God, it's come to this: having to seriously consider suicide as an option. If it was just me I might really do it too, but I have a family to think of. Snow's used them to make me obey before and now because of them I have to live on; at least for now. If I die, my Victor money dies with me. So if I want Prim and my mom taken care of like they are now I don't really have a choice but to be the well raped goose that lays the golden eggs.

I know if I die Gale will look after them, even though it'd be really tough for him. To seriously make it work I'd have to hide money to help out; a lot of money; enough to last a lifetime. It'll take time, probably months to squirrel that much away, but if I do it right I can manage to avoid ever having to mentor.

Maybe it makes me a coward, but I don't know if I can survive like this. I look back to Glimmer to try and see what she's thinking and I see the same desperation in her I'm feeling, but unlike me there's something else in her: anger.

Glimmer's always handled the Capitol with more anger than me. Ever since we were crowned and learned what our futures would be while I was slowly worn down to near depression by it, she seemed to find rage instead. She'd vent to me and I'd commiserate with her and somehow we got through it together. But now it looks we may wind up apart. Me quietly taking my life and her going out in some blaze of glory, killing every Capitolite she can and making sure the Peacekeepers have no options for taking her alive. Miserable fates both.

The windows of the train go dark as it enters the tunnel leading to the Capitol. Usually I can't help but feel claustrophobic, feel the weight of the mountain crushing me, but today I feel nothing. There just doesn't seem to be more they can pile on me.

No one says much else for the rest of the ride. What is there to say? Haymitch can't change what's going to happen, Glimmer can't and neither can I, and nothing's going to make it feel even a little bit better. At the train station in the Capitol instead of adoring crowds a stern face Peacekeeper awaits us. "The President would like to have a word with you." he announces. Well, that sure didn't take long.

**Glimmer**

Just like the last time we were summoned for Fun Time with Snow we're led through a maze of corridors to a generic looking door; nothing special about it to indicate the unbelievable bastard on the other side. We go inside and find Snow (of course) and a different office from last time. This one's still nice, but not even close to the over the top sort of room the Capitol seems to like. It's just a regular, normal office like you'd see for anywhere.

"Ah, Miss Aurum, Miss Everdeen, welcome. Please be seated." Snow greets us. Well since he asked so nicely… "It appears you both have had a rather eventful Victory Tour, particularly in Districts 5 and 11. I found it rather surprising, particularlyconsidering the conversation we had a mere six months ago. I must say, I find this truly disheartening. " Yeah, I can see how broken up he is.

"But we had nothing to do with that!" Katniss defends.

"Oh didn't you? Do you mean to suggest your presence for each incident was mere coincidence?"

"Well no… They seem to have timed things for when we were there, but it's not like we did anything! We didn't even know something would happen, and we certainly didn't participate!"

"Ah, what you are saying is that you are not responsible for these incidents, but still are to blame for their occurring." God, he's just playing with her now.

"Um…?" Poor Katniss; I wish I could help her out, but I don't think anything we say or do can change what's going to happen here. We're straight up fucked.

"Well as you said, you did not partake in these actions, but if you had not been there they might not have occurred." This is getting tiresome; just sitting and watching him play word games with us. The bastard's practically playing with his food here. How many times has he done this anyway? How many Victors has he punished like this?

"Um, I don't understand what you mean?"

"Ah, how rude of me. My apologies, Miss Everdeen. I was merely thinking out loud." Like hell he made a mistake. He's toying with us. "But getting back on point I do believe after your Games we discussed certain consequences for a disruptive Victory Tour?"

Here it comes. Like all those Victors before us now we get to hear who dies, and we just sit here and take it.

Wait a minute. Why are we just sitting and taking it? There's two of us and one of him; he's an old man, I could kill him bare handed without any trouble at all. Why isn't he worried? For that matter why hasn't any Victor thought of this before?

"No please, don't take away Prim! Please! We tried to do what you said! Don't take away my little sister!" Katniss begs and I try discretely looking around. No force fields, no weapons that I see, nothing at all that looks out of place; this looks just like a regular office.

"Well the loss of a loved one, including your dear sister Primrose was the agreed upon consequence, however you do raise an intriguing point. As you said, you did indeed attempt to do as I asked." Damn, there's not a thing out of place at all, and that worries me. There's no way he's lived this long without surviving assassination attempts. If I could see something then maybe I'd have a chance, but now…

"While you did not ignore my request, per se, you clearly were a factor in these events. Your mere presence created these problems, so it follows that ending your presence will solve them." Snow stops and looks directly at me. "Oh and you are quite correct, Miss Aurum; it would not work." Crap! I thought I was being subtle! Did he really see my eyes moving and guess what I was thinking or did he just go off some psych profile they compiled on me?

Katniss looks at me, but she obviously doesn't dare ask the obvious question here. Instead Snow continues. "Victors have the best health care, the best food; the best of everything. Thus it would be quite unusual for one of your respective ages to die, and two would be far too suspicious. However it just so happens there a unique opportunity has presented itself: tonight is the reading of the card for the third Quarter Quell."

No. No fucking way. There's no way he's saying what I think he is. "Now it goes without saying that the cards are sealed so I have no idea whatsoever what tonight may hold, but imagine if the card specified that each district is to offer up a Victor and then one tribute of the opposite gender, each regardless of age." Fuck. He really did it. We're dead. He just sentenced us both to death.

Snow stops and looks at Katniss. "Hmm, I believe that would mean your friend young Mister Hawthorne could participate you as well, Miss Everdeen. In theory of course." Katniss looks devastated, and I suspect I'm not exactly straight faced either.

"Our business here is concluded. You may go. You have a rather full night, after all. A real first for us, in fact." I don't dare ask what he means; the smart play is to just leave. But with Snow the only play that ever really happens is the one he wants, and that means he gets to drop whatever bomb he has saved. "A Victor has scheduled an appointment. Quite own mentor in fact, Miss Aurum. She called from the tour, in District 2 I believe. Price was no object for her, however she insisted on the very first appointment slot and requested you and Miss Everdeen. Together. For the entire night."

Katniss and I stare at each other. Some Capitolite freak is one thing, but Cashmere? And both of us? I knew she didn't like me, or Katniss for that matter, but I never imagined she was capable of anything like this. My god, how did things get to this point? Did I ever even really have any control at all?

"Now you may go." Snow dismisses us.

**Gale**

The mine's still closed, even days later; not that it matters to me; I couldn't work even if it was open. I'm up and around, still sore, but I get around ok. The problem is, Prim's still not letting me leave; the girl's just plain overprotective. That or maybe having me around makes her miss Katniss less, I'm not sure. Not that I mind giving the girl some comfort; she's as good as my own sister.

If only Prim knew what was really happening in the Capitol. I'm not sure what Katniss will tell Prim about why she was away so long. Maybe she'll ask other Victors about what they tell families about their appointments? Maybe the families just learn not to ask when they see what the people who come back from the Capitol look and act like?

That's the part I'm not looking forward to; what will Katniss be like when she comes home? Will she be my catnip anymore, or will she just be some shattered shell of the girl I know? It's been hard enough dealing with catnip as compared to Capitol Katniss who came home from the Games without having some poor broken girl tossed into the mix.

And what do I say to her? What do I do with her? I just don't know how to treat this kind of hurt. It used to be Katniss would have to get back on her feet and hunt to keep her family fed, but now? She can just retreat into a shell if she wants. Hell she can go full on catatonic like her mother has and the Victor money will keep right on pouring in. When it comes to keeping Prim warm and fed all Katniss has to do now is have a pulse.

Katniss has despised her mother ever since her father died because of how the woman retreated into herself. I think she tried to hide her feelings about her mother somewhat, but, well, it's Katniss. Anything concerning emotions, including hiding them just isn't in her skill set. But I think deep down it's not just hate for her mom, it's fear that Katniss might be just like her. I never dreamed it would be put to the test.

Hell, now that I think about it, maybe Katniss finding out about the mine accident will be better; angry Katniss at least I know and can deal with. Who knows, since I can't outrun her at the moment maybe it'll be better for her if she really does hit me.

I know when it comes time for me to go back to work it'll be another big fight. She'll insist she has enough money for my entire family, I'll tell her I don't need her charity. Hell, I know the whole god damned script already; nothing will be resolved. I hate the mines, I absolutely fucking hate them, but I can't just live my entire life taking handouts. I'm not useless.

The way it's going it might not even matter though. The mines are still closed; I hear some Capitol safety inspectors are here. Capitol safety, now there's some bullshit; they don't give a fuck about us. I don't know who they really are or why they're here for but safety sure as fuck has nothing to do with it. For all I know they're here just to keep the mines closed longer to starve us; that's the sort of sick shit the Capitol does. Seems like no one can deal with them without taking it up the ass somehow or other.

**Katniss**

I'm trying not to cry, I really am. I never used to have to; I just plain didn't cry, but that seems so long ago now, back before I had an unwanted career of trying to survive the Capitol's tender mercies for a few days more. It seems like I'm not very good at my job.

I don't have any plans anymore, I don't have any ideas what to do, it seems like all I can do is cry now; but I can't even really do that. I have to be on TV soon, be in public in front of all of Panem and if I don't smile and look like I'm happy to be there who knows what'll happen; probably someone I care about will die. That seems like that's the default consequence of defying Snow.

I don't know what I'm going to do, and this empty dressing room isn't giving me any answers either. Thankfully the door opens and someone who always seems to know what to say comes in: Cinna.

"Katniss, it'll be all right." he reassures me, coming over to envelop me in a hug. I don't know if he's right; I tend to doubt it myself. He doesn't know what Snow said and I don't think I can tell him either.

"I don't know what Snow said to you, and I won't ask you to tell me; I know you can't. Now I know the appointments start tonight, but you have to believe that as terrible and hopeless as things seem now, they will turn for the better, and however bleak things seems now, they will not be as bad as you think."

"How can I believe that Cinna? Especially now?"

"You have to have faith, Katniss. You survived the Games, after all, and that had its share of hopeless moments."

"That was different." I insist.

"No it wasn't. Then it seemed like it was you against the world, a world custom built for that Games in fact; a world custom build to be cruel and lethal. It certainly seemed hopeless especially when you were in that tree. But it turned out all right. No one could have predicted what happened, but in the end I think we can both agree it was a happy ending. You just need to have a bit of faith that something unexpected will happen again and this will turn around as well."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"The same as you've been doing for as long as I've known you, Katniss: you manage the best you can and watch for opportunities that may arise. I don't know when they will or what shape they'll take, but I know that something will come along neither of us expects. Take advantage when it does."

Basically try not to think about it too much and hope something good happens, that's what he's saying. Ignore the terrible, horrible future and look for something to come along and change things and hope I can somehow use it to save myself.

"I wish I could be more comfort, I really do, but there simply isn't the time I'm afraid. In just a few minutes things will start. First will be a short greeting on camera with Caesar, you'll talk for a minute or two and then Snow will read the card for the Quell. Finally there will be a banquet, similar to the Victory Tour, but with more people and it will be longer, lasting well past midnight."

Cinna doesn't mention the appointments that start immediately after; he doesn't have to and I don't want to be reminded anyway. He actually doesn't mention anything more; instead he rushes me through getting dressed and backstage. I guess we really were out of time.

Glimmer is already waiting for me backstage, in a sexy golden dress that she is decidedly not showing off in. I think it's the first time I've ever seen her in a showy outfit where she's acting low key. She sees me and throws a half hearted wave in my direction. "You ready for this, Katniss?"

"Not really. Are you?"

"No, not that it matters." Glimmer isn't nearly as talkative as normal. Not upbeat or sarcastic, not teasing me; even her anger is gone. Just like me she's a shell going through the motions.

We're called on stage and start the show; all the smiling and waving, the sexy walk Glimmer does that I still haven't managed to copy. I can tell she's in auto pilot. She just doesn't move quite like her heart's in it; the smile is forced, the waves to the audience aren't nearly as dramatic as they could be. She's a lot closer to how I normally look than the Glimmer that was here to be crowned a Victor half a year ago. If she looks like that I can only imagine what I must look like.

Caesar pretends not to notice. He's done this for a lot of years, and I know we're not the first Victors to be facing an appointment after this. Maybe others started right after their Games, maybe they started after the Victory Tour like us. Either way, they're never happy to be here, and Caesar knows how to cover for them.

We make some small talk; I'm even asked a few things and somehow answer, though to be honest I couldn't tell you what I said. I don't remember the audience booing or anything like that, so I guess it was good enough, but beyond that I couldn't tell you what went on.

After a few minutes of this, our part of the show is over and Caesar stands and introduces President Snow. The man walks on stage, still in a perfect suit with a little kid following him, carrying a small case. I guess Snow never misses a chance to use children as props; at least this one will survive the night.

The boy opens the case, which contains dozens of numbered envelopes. That box is full of horrors, hundreds of years worth or tortures, maybe more. Did they really expect this many Games? There could be a thousand years of helpless, murdered children in that box. What kind of monster makes and fills a case with that?

Snow smiles and reaches into the case, removing the envelope labeled '75'. I don't know if he's genuinely happy or if this is an act for effect; either way this is the first sign of emotion I've ever seen from the man. He opens the envelope with what seems like excruciating, meticulous slowness and finally removes the card inside and reads.

"On the seventy fifth anniversary of the rebellion, as a reminder to all those foolish enough to oppose the Capitol that none are beyond its reach, each district shall offer up as tribute, one individual, regardless of age, reaped from the district's pool of Victors and one individual of the opposite gender, again, regardless of age, chosen from the general population."

Well, that's it, just like he said; Glimmer and I are headed back to the Games. I have no doubt whatsoever that Snow can rig the reaping like he promised, so Glimmer, Gale and I are pretty much done.

The crowd of course eats it up. Maybe they haven't realized that some of their favorite Victors are going to die; maybe they just don't care. Either way, they love it. Snow leaves the stage and the crowd begins breaking up. Very few of them have invitations to the party, so I guess they're going home.

Glimmer and I are probably supposed to be going somewhere, but neither of us is moving from our seats. It's not like we're hiding, we're on a stage, and staying here won't change the future, but neither of us wants to leave anyway. The only things waiting for us are a room full of Capitol freaks and then a night of whatever sexual tortures Cashmere has planned.

Haymitch comes up to us. I don't know how long we've been on stage; probably a minute or two since things ended only; it's not nearly long enough. "All right, we need to get moving." Glimmer and I look at him. Neither of us gets up. "Look, I know this sucks ass, but you can't just sit here forever, so come on." We still just sit and stare. "If it's not me then it'll be a Peacekeeper that gets you out of here, either way you've got to go."

Glimmer and I reluctantly get us, neither saying a word. What is there to say? If we could get out of this we would have already; if Haymitch had some crazy plan he'd have already told us about it.

The banquet seems to be a buffet rather than real served food like normal. At first I think it's odd. It's not like there's any shortage of avoxes to carry all the food around, but when I see the buffet I understand.

A massive table runs the middle of the seating area; it must be fifty yards long, covered in food, piled three tiers high. It had to take an army of avoxes to have cooked and set all this up. I haven't wanted for food for a while now, but even I'm overwhelmed by how much there is. A quick look around tells me there's twice as much food as the people here could possibly eat, maybe triple. I can only imagine what Gale would say about the spectacle.

Glimmer, Haymitch and I each grab a plate piled with food and sit down at an empty table, quickly joined by Cashmere. "Eat up you two; you'll need a lot of energy for tonight." She's positively beaming. I hate that woman; I truly hate her. I can only imagine how I'll feel about her by morning.

Glimmer looks at Cashmere, staring. If this was any other day I'm sure there'd be some snide remark, but right now we're so dead inside a blank stare is all any of us seem to have. And that's when absolutely everything around us begins exploding.

**Author's Notes:**

Finally, we're at the climax of the first act of this story, complete with explosions in the Capitol.

Thanks, as always, to my friend JB for help with grammar edits. I love to hear from fans, comments, critiques, things you like or don't like, anything you have to say. Feel free to PM or leave a review. It's great to hear from readers. Thanks for reading.


	10. Appointments to Keep and Miles to Go

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Katniss**

The explosions start all around the edges of the banquet. Huge bright, glowing fireballs shooting into the sky, seemingly out of nowhere. It reminds me of the fire in my Games. The same sort of artificial flame, but this time instead of an empty forest, it's in a hall full of people, and rather than targeting me, it seems almost like random explosions.

Glimmer and I are on our feet instantly and surprisingly so is Haymitch; I guess Victor's reflexes never really die. All around us people are running and screaming. They're running aimlessly, some seem to be trying to leave, others just running for the sake of doing something. Basically, it's panic.

"We've got to get the fuck out of here." Haymitch states the painfully obvious.

"Yeah, but where to?" Glimmer asks.

Haymitch looks around, obviously trying to formulate a plan. It's only a few seconds later when new explosions rip across the area. It seems like the entire buffet in the middle of the banquet was rigged with explosives and it all goes up at once. The massive blast knocks us all off our feet.

I try to get up, but I'm surprisingly shaky and there's a ringing in my ears. I look over at Glimmer and Haymitch, and they seem to be in the same sort of state. Haymitch's mouth moves, as if he's trying to talk but I can't hear a thing. He seems to realize we can't hear him (maybe because he can't hear himself either?)

Whatever he's trying to say, it's obvious I can't hear it right this minute so I give up listening and try to get on my feet instead. It takes a little work and quite a bit of holding on to the back of my chair for support, but I make it. Looking around, it's bad.

We got food already, but a lot of the Capitolites seemed more interested in talking first (I think Cashmere called it 'mingling') and were only now getting to the buffet, which means they were right on top of the explosions.

There's a crater where the buffet used to stand, surrounded by blood and body parts. People are on the ground all around, in various states, mostly already dead or just moments away. Everyone seems to be covered in blood, with wounds like I've never seen. Even in all the Games I've seen, I've never seen something like this. Gashes, huge chunks of flash missing, and severed limbs; there's body parts absolutely everywhere. Severed arms, legs, and random unidentifiable chunks of… meat, for lack of a better word.

"Good god." someone gasps. I realize it must have been me.

"We've got to get the fuck out of here." With the ringing in my ears gone I can hear Haymitch saying really obvious things again. "Train station. Now."

"No!" yells an uninjured (damn!) Cashmere, running over to us. "Back to the Training Center."

"Bullshit; we're out of here." Haymitch glares.

"No! You don't get to just up and leave!" Cashmere grabs Glimmer's left wrist and starts trying to physically drag her off. "You have appointments to keep, now get back to the Training Center!"

Glimmer looks from Cashmere to me, and for the first time today I see something in her green eyes. They've been dead, just like mine ever since we got to the Capitol, but now there's anger in them again. No, that's not right; Glimmer's angry a lot. This is more than that. It's rage.

Glimmer turns back and stares Cashmere down. "I'm done putting up with your psychotic crap, Cashmere."

"Done? Little girl, we haven't even started." Cashmere isn't shying away from the staring contest.

Cashmere gasps, breaking eye contact with Glimmer to look down at the handle jutting out of her chest. "No, we're finished." Glimmer announces, pulling out the knife I didn't even realize she was holding. I was so busy watching the staring contest (just like Cashmere, obviously) that I didn't bother to look what Glimmer was doing with her free hand: finding a steak knife.

"Son of a bitch!" Haymitch exclaims as Cashmere falls to the ground at Glimmer's feet. Haymitch snatches the knife out of Glimmer's hand, wrapping it in one of the fancy cloth napkins they have here and dropping it into a jacket pocket. "Come on, it's time to move those asses!"

Glimmer and I run after Haymitch. Well, I try to run. In these heels that's no easy feat for me. Normally I might take them off, but with all the metal and blood and worse on the ground, I don't dare. Glimmer, of course has a far easier time moving in heels than me. I swear, that girl drives me nuts sometimes.

Haymitch runs onto a waiting train. It's in the same place as ours was, but I honestly have no idea if it really is or not. Just inside is a Capitol employee (I think I heard someone call this sort of person a steward?) "Get this fucking train moving!" Haymitch yells.

"What? We aren't scheduled for departure! And besides, you shouldn't be here!"

"Yeah, well shit shouldn't be blowing up either! Now shut the fuck up and get this damned train moving!"

"You're Victors! You need to be at the Training Center!"

"You stupid shit! They just blew the fucking Victor's Day celebration up! You really think the fucking Training Center is safe? Stop fucking arguing and get us the fuck back to 12! Now!" Haymitch roars. Wow, I've never seen him like this.

The steward is apparently convinced and heads off in the direction of the train's engine. A few moments later, I hear it come to life and the train starts on the long trip back to District 12.

**Glimmer**

Haymitch is banging on my door? God, what time is it? I look over at the clock. Ugh, 5 am? I haven't been up this early since my Academy days. Maybe a few times I'm up this late if there's a really good video game, but this just isn't right. Is the sun even up at this hour?

I look out the window. Yeah, it's light out, well, kind of light at least. Wait, why aren't the trees outside moving? Is the train stopped?

"Come on, princess!" Ugh, it's Haymitch yelling through the door again. "Get your ass out of bed and meet me outside the train. Now!"

Yeah, fine whatever; a girl just can't get some sleep apparently. I get out bed, throwing on the first at least semi fashionable clothes I find and head for the door off the train. This really better be good.

The train's pulled up to a small platform; apparently we're at a fuel stop. Katniss and Haymitch are always waiting for me outside. Katniss doesn't look so bad; stupid hunter up with the sun. "Yeah, I'm here, what's so damned important?" I ask. It's way too early to be polite.

Haymitch doesn't respond, he simply tilts his head towards the front of the train and starts walking in that direction. Katniss shrugs at me and follows. I follow; it's not like Haymitch is going to leave me alone until whatever this is gets over and done with.

We walk past the front of the train, several hundred yards down the track, finally stopping at the foot of a bridge over some nameless ravine. Haymitch turns to me and takes the bloody knife from last night out of his pocket and glares. "All right, we should be far enough from any bugs now. So, want to tell me what the fuck this is?"

"It's a steak knife." I'm willing to go head to head with Haymitch to see which of us can be more of a rude jerk. Haymitch glares at me; as if that's going to work. "You know, you really shouldn't steal the Capitol's silverware; you could get in trouble."

"Real fucking cute. You think this is a god damned joke?"

"You see me laughing, Haymitch? It's way too early for this."

"You think later in the day is better?" Haymitch explodes at me. "I didn't sign up to cover up your fucking murders!"

"Really? I thought that's what mentors do. That's certainly what they've taught me for years. I kill people; mentors help me out with it."

"All right, that's it. You've got about five seconds to convince me not to turn your ass over to the Peacekeepers the moment we hit 12."

"Oh don't bullshit me, Haymitch, we both know you're not going to do that."

"And why is that, princess?"

"We've all done enough illegal shit to fuck each other from here to the Capitol. So save the threats, it's too god damned early in the morning. Oh, and as for Cashmere? Yeah, I killed her. She deserved it. You looking for me to apologize or something?"

"Just what the hell were you thinking?"

"Maintain eye contact, keep her focus on me and off what my hand was reaching for; come in fast and hard; keep the blade horizontal to slide cleanly between the ribs."

"All right, that's it. I'm through. You're on your fucking own."

Haymitch turns and starts walking back to the train. "Haymitch! Wait!" Katniss calls out to him. He stops, but doesn't look back at us. "She was our first appointment, Haymitch."

That got his attention. Now he's looking back at us. "What the fuck did you just say? What do you mean she was your appointment? She's a Victor; Victors are sent on appointments, they don't make them."

"She did Haymitch. Snow told us. She called from 2, spent a fortune to be our very first one. She bought the entire night with both of us together."

"Son of a bitch." Haymitch shakes his head. "I knew she didn't like you two, but holy fuck; I've never heard of a Victor doing something like that."

"Snow said it was the first time." I offer.

Haymitch sighs and walks back to us. "All right look, as far as anyone knows she died from shrapnel in the explosions. If anyone asks that's what happened; flying metal and shit hit her, got it?" We both nod. "No more killing though. I'm serious now."

"Haymitch, we're going back to the Games; killing is going to be our job." I interject.

"Yeah, well, we'll figure something out and talk about that later. In the meantime, can you at least try and behave?"

"I promise; I'll try." Haymitch rolls his eyes and throws the knife into the gorge. I guess now that I promised to behave it's ok to destroy evidence to cover up my murder.

"The train leaves in fifteen minutes, try not to be left behind." Haymitch walks back to the train, not waiting to hear anything more from us.

After a bit, Katniss looks at me. "Wow, he was mad."

"I know. It's weird; usually when I kill people it makes a highlight reel and mobs of people cheer." Katniss just rolls her eyes at me. "Katniss, what was I supposed to do? She wasn't going to take no for an answer, and both know what was waiting for us at the Training Center."

"I know, Glimmer, I know. I just can't make jokes about it the same way you can."

"Well personally I hadn't planned to bring it up at all."

"You must have known Haymitch would."

"Honestly Katniss, I didn't really think about it. We'd been threatened all day, pushed around, sentenced to death and then Cashmere was literally dragging me off to rape me and I just finally had enough. I figured in all the stuff blowing up with all the chaos and bodies around, no one would notice one more."

"I get it Glimmer, I really do." I nod to Katniss. Good, I don't want to keep trying to justify myself. The bitch had it coming, it's that simple. "So what'll you do now? Go back to 1?"

"Yeah, they're going to love me there. Their dear precious idol dead and I come home safe and sound."

Katniss nods and stares into the ravine a while. It's deep, maybe a hundred feet; maybe more. I wonder if anyone's ever been to the bottom? Maybe when they were building this bridge, but other than that who knows. Certainly that knife Haymitch threw down there won't be found.

"You could just… not go back." Katniss suggests.

"Not go back? And just where would I go instead?"

"The train's going to 12; just get off the train there with me. My house is plenty big enough. And like you've said, we have enough money, so it's not like it'd be a problem putting you up. I had all the bedrooms soundproofed, so you wouldn't bother Prim or my mom even."

"What, just live at your place until the Games?"

"Sure, why not?"

"You don't think the Capitol will mind?"

"Glimmer, you killed someone. If they're going to get mad at you I don't think this will be what does it."

"Well, you have a point there." I chuckle. "Are you really serious though? About staying with you in 12 I mean."

"Well yeah. You've said you hate it in 1, so why not?"

Hmm, why not indeed. "All right, sure, sounds fun."

"Great." Katniss smiles at me.

**Prim**

The TV's been going on nonstop coverage of the Victor's Day attack. Bloody Victor's Day. Or Victor's Day Terror. Another goes with Victor's Day Horror. Every station has a different name for it, but no matter what they call it, it's all they can talk about.

No one has a death toll yet, they're calling it 'dozens, maybe hundreds'. The shots of it they've shown make it obvious why. The carnage is unbelievable. Even as a healer (what passes for a doctor in 12, sometimes even surgeon) I'm in shock at what I see. There's just so much blood and so many severed people parts (I wish I had a better word for them than that) that I wouldn't even know where to start assessing the damage.

While they haven't gotten official counts in or released a list of the dead, word of one of them leaked out really early: Cashmere: Glimmer's mentor. They haven't said if Katniss or Glimmer were hurt or killed, but they should have been with Cashmere, and if she was killed…

Gale has been watching TV with me, hoping for some sort of news. Honestly, he's healthy enough to leave, but I'm in no rush to tell him so. The mines are still closed so it's not like he's missing work. I imagine he wants to go hunting, but he's still not moving quite right, so I think that's out for a few more days at least. It's pretty late tonight already, so he may as well stay one more night; I'll tell him he can go home tomorrow.

Suddenly the front door opens and Katniss walks in, followed by of all people Glimmer. "Katniss!" I yell, hopping off the couch and running to hug my sister.

"Hi, little duck." she hugs me tightly. I'm getting close to her height, but I still love the nickname.

"I heard about the attack on TV; they said Cashmere's dead and I was so worried about you!" I think I might be crying a bit now.

"It's ok, Prim, I'm fine." She looks over at Gale, who's gotten up and is walking over.

"Welcome home, catnip."

"Thanks, Gale." She looks at Gale, her happy look turning suspicious. "Wait, why are you here this late? And are you limping?" Well that didn't take her long at all.

"Um, me? Limping?" Gale laughs nervously. I told him he needed a good plan; all that time and this is the best he could come up with?

Katniss narrows her eyes. She looks tired. "Yes, Gale, your walk is off. What happened? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, catnip, it's no big deal. A few bruises, that's it."

"It doesn't look like nothing, Gale." She takes a step back from me and looks me in the eye. "Prim, what did he do?"

Uh oh. I figured she's focus on Gale rather than asking me. I need something, fast. "Um, doctor patient privilege?"

"What?" Katniss blinks. "What is that?"

"I dunno." I shrug. "I heard it on TV."

"Prim." Katniss warns, giving me a firm look. Uh oh, this isn't good.

"Relax Katniss. I'll tell you, you don't need to interrogate her." Oh thank goodness, there's Gale to save me. "I got a little banged up, that's all. It's no big deal."

"Where? What happened, Gale?"

There's a long pause. I know what's coming next, so does Gale, but he doesn't want to say it. I don't blame him. I think next to something happening to me, Gale being hurt or killed in the mines is Katniss' top fear. "In the mines, Katniss; I was hurt in the mines."

I see that fear in Katniss' eyes now, mixed with a bit of anger, but she's still holding it back. "The mines? Gale, what were you doing there?"

"I work there, Katniss." Gale's keeping calm. Personally, I don't think this is a good plan either; I'd recommend running.

"What?" Katniss explodes. Well, we all knew it was coming. "How can you work there, Gale? You know how dangerous it is! What were you thinking?"

"It's my job, Katniss; my family needs the money. Quotas have been going up so they moved people from school to the mines ahead of schedule."

"But Gale, you shouldn't be working there!"

"I have no choice, Katniss! I need the money! Besides, this was always going to happen, we both knew it. It just happened a bit earlier than expected, that's all."

"So what happened that you're limping around?" Katniss is trying to get a bit of calm, but that won't last; I give it about two more seconds, in fact.

"Well, see there was a bit of an accident?"

"An accident? What kind of accident, Gale?"

Gale takes a deep breath. This is where things are going to go horribly wrong for him. "It was a cave in, Katniss." A cave in is what killed our dads.

"A cave in? Are you serious, Gale? You know how dangerous those are!"

"I know, Katniss; I was there."

"Well you're not going back there."

"Yes, I am, Katniss. I have to; I need the money."

"You could get the money from me! You don't need to work in that place!"

"Damn it, Katniss! We've been over this! I'm not taking money from you!"

"So you'd rather throw your life away? Die in some mine just for a few coins?"

"I don't have a choice, Katniss! This is how it is in 12! Yeah, you got lucky; you got a big mansion, the money, all that good stuff. Me? I have to work in the mines like all the real people. It's time you faced facts, Katniss."

"No, Gale! The fact is you don't have to be in that place at all!"

"Oh grow up Katniss! This is 12! There aren't always happy endings for us! This is how it is! Get used to it!"

"Get out, Gale. Just… get out of my house."

"Fine." Gale walks out, slamming the front door behind him. Katniss goes upstairs without another word; I hear her bedroom door slam a moment later.

"Well that was fun." I jump in surprise. I completely forgot Glimmer was there.

"Um, hi. So uh, are you our guest for the night then?"

"No, I live here." She smiles at me.

"Uh, no, I think you have your own mansion over in 1."

"Oh yeah; I know I do. I live here now though."

"How'd that happen?"

"Katniss invited me." she grins. Well, I guess technically it is Katniss' house.

"Oh, um, ok then. Any idea how long you'll be here?"

"I dunno, half a year or so maybe."

"Um, all right then." How often do you have someone show just up and say they live here now? She's Katniss' friend though, who am I to say no? "All right then, so I guess let's go upstairs and pick out a room for you."

**Glimmer**

The beds in Katniss' place aren't bad at all. What's less good is the fact I came here with nothing. No clothes, no makeup, no supplies of any sort, literally just the clothes on my back; there's no way Katniss or Prim are going to have anything in my size, so looks like it's time to go shopping. I can't even do my usual workout; I've got the dress I was wearing and that's it.

I head downstairs and thankfully find Prim making breakfast. I can't cook, and since they do here, I doubt I'd have found much that a microwave could magically turn into food.

"Morning, Glimmer." Prim greets me. I guess she adapts fast; she's treating my living here like it's normal already.

"Morning, Prim." I sit down at the table. This isn't bad. I just show up and food appears. I totally can get used to this. "Katniss around? I could use a tour guide today."

"Sorry, I haven't seen her. It looks like she left early."

"Hmm, well that sort of sucks." I guess I can wander around and find things. It's not like District 12 is that big. Heck, it's so small they don't even bother with paved roads around here.

"Why, what did you need her to show you around for?"

"Well my staying here was sort of a last minute thing, so I didn't actually bring anything. Like no clothes or stuff like that at all."

"Oh, well I can help you with that!" Prim smiles at me.

"You don't have school or something?"

"Glimmer, it's Saturday."

"It is?" Wow, I feel dumb now. "Oh, didn't realize. Guess I had a blonde moment." Well actually, on the tour I lost track of days. What's it matter what days it is when you're on that train?

"Geez, Glimmer, talk like that is going to give us blondes a bad name." Hmm, girl has a sense of humor. Big change from Katniss. "So where do you need to go anyway?"

"Well a bank would be a good start. There is one in 12, right?"

"Uh yeah, 12's small but we're not totally backwards or anything."

"Prim, you don't have paved roads here."

"We have a paved road!"

I laugh. "Wow, a whole one road!" Prim gives me an annoyed look that's really kind of cute.

"So what do you need at 12's bank anyway?"

"Money. What else do you get from a bank?"

"But isn't your money all over in 1?"

"Yeah, but it's all the same bank; all run out of the Capitol. I can get at my money here, same as back in 1. Just I can't drive to this bank apparently." Prim rolls her eyes at me.

"Yeah, yeah, you're a laugh a minute, Glimmer. So where else do you need to go?"

"Well, a lot. I don't have anything to wear besides what I've got on now, so clothes, shoes, toiletries, all that sort of stuff."

"Oh, all right. That shouldn't take too long."

That poor deluded girl, she has no idea. Well, I suppose I can't blame her. The poor thing lives with Katniss, so she's never had a positive female role model to show her how to do the things that really matter to a girl. Like shop. Looks like it's up to be to step in and be the big sister Prim never had.

"Of course, Prim, not long at all." I give Prim my best innocent smile; she doesn't look convinced at all. I've really got to work harder on my innocent act.

**Katniss**

I can't believe that Gale. What's wrong with him? How can he just give up like that? He knows how I feel about the mines; I always thought he felt the same. What was all that? A lie?

What were all those years we spent hunting? Was that just a stopgap, a way to keep his family fed and all right until he could get a career in the mines? I never dreamed that could be the case, but now I'm not so sure. The way he talked last night made it sound exactly like that.

Telling me to grow up; telling me how the world works. Yeah, I'm plenty grown up. You can't go through the Games, wind up a piece on Snow's game board and not grow up in the process. It's ugly, it's rushed, but it's growing up. I know darned well how the world works. It works by beating you down and making you decide if you'll keep trying to get up or just stay on your knees.

I understand it's tempting to stay down. I certainly have wanted to, repeatedly in fact. I've had fantasies about running away, even fantasies about killing myself. Well, more than fantasies really, I started planning them out in detail in my head. Of course before I could do more than plan things always kept coming up that changed things.

Gale though, it sounds like his plan was always to give up; all our time in the woods was just a childhood game, some fantasy life he always knew he'd outgrow. And now he has the nerve to yell at me about calling him on it. All his speeches about the Capitol and how evil they are and now he's the head cheerleader for the suck it up brigade.

I don't think I could stand to see him right now. I'm sure I'd yell more. Maybe I'd even try to hit him (Glimmer's got to be rubbing off on me.) That's why I went all the way out to the house by the lake this morning. I got up before anyone else and went to a place in the woods I've never shown Gale.

It's actually the farthest place from the fence of 12 I've ever walked to. In my plans to run away I would have used this place as a storehouse for supplies; I'd bring survival equipment here and then when I took my sister and mother from 12 we'd rush here, pick them up and be able to go miles further in the first day.

When I planned that out, I envisioned Gale coming with me. After all, why wouldn't I? He'd come up with plans like this before and tried to sell me on them. This time I'd have been in from the start, and with all the supplies my Victor's money could buy, we'd have had a great chance.

I just can't believe Gale's given up. Of all the people in 12, he was the one who'd never give up; the strong one. I was the one who'd lean on him for support. I never told him he was the stronger one (Even I have my pride after all) but I think he knew.

I think that's why I'm so upset really; it's not just that this is a betrayal, it's that someone so strong, stronger than me can just give up like that. If Gale can wind up like this what kind of chance do I have? Gale just had a system of poverty and servitude against him; I have a man with the power of an entire nation and the willpower to use it against me specifically.

Maybe hiding out here isn't much of an answer, but I don't see anyone with any better ideas around. Glimmer decided to put a steak knife in someone's heart then live at my house; I think sulking in the woods is just as good and a bit less destructive. I know hiding out here won't solve anything any more than Glimmer stabbing people will (but I won't tell her that, just in case she decides to try and prove me wrong) but at least out here, I can be alone.

It's not often I'm alone, and maybe it isn't good for me, but today I just couldn't take facing Gale. Another shouting match won't help; I don't know what will. Something has to change, but I don't know what, and I don't know how to change it.

I also don't know how Glimmer fits into all of this. She didn't say anything last night, which I appreciate, but Glimmer isn't the sort to stay in the background for long. Honestly, I'm sort of nervous about what she'll do, that's why I didn't bring her out here today.

This place has always been my own little refuge and hiding place, ever since I first came here with my dad it was special to me. Out here I could play house as little girl, then later on it was a place to get fish, gather plants and reminisce; something about it just always seems to calm me down and give me whatever sort of help I need. I can't even say what it is I need today; if a day along in the woods isn't enough to help then I'm out of ideas.

**Author's Notes:**

Katniss really does get led around by Glimmer, doesn't she? Well, she's got a new house guest now. And Poor Gale, he really should have Prim teach him when to run.

As always, thanks to my friend JB for help with grammar edits. (Grammar in spoken material that by definition is bad grammar is interesting stuff.)

Just like I say in every other chapter, I love getting reviews, comments and critiques (seriously, all authors do) so if you have anything to say don't fight the urge; I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading.


	11. Making a Splash

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Prim**

I knew shopping with Glimmer wouldn't exactly be fast, but I had no idea how far she'd actually go. After getting money from the bank (which involved quite a bit of shock and confusion on the bank's part), we've gone to literally every store that sells any sort of product a girl could ever possibly use.

It's impossibly slow and tedious. Well, at least it was until Glimmer talked me into trying a few things on myself. It was just one thing, I swear! I really meant to just try one thing on to humor her. And that's all it was, one dress. But then somehow I needed matching shoes. A girl can't clash after all, can she?

I won't ever wonder how Glimmer gets Katniss to do anything she wants; the girl can be really insistent, and can pester with the best of them. It isn't really annoying, per se; it's the sort of thing where you just do what she says to get her to stop. You plan to just have it be one time, but it never seems to stop at that.

Not that it's all bad. Glimmer actually has good taste in clothes for the most part. Now I don't want to be quite as blatant about showing off as her, but she actually talked me into quite a few nice outfits. They're different from what I usually wear; more grown up.

"New experience for you?" she asks me sometime during the day.

"Shopping? No, I've gone shopping before."

"Shopping with Katniss doesn't count. I've seen how she dresses."

"What do you mean?" I blink.

"Oh come on, if they were the same size Katniss could swap clothes with that Gale guy and no one would notice." Well, Glimmer sort of has a point there. "Face it; Katniss is terrible at being a girl. And you poor girl, you've never had a proper female role model to do things like, well, take you shopping properly."

"You say that like there's a right and a wrong way to shop."

"Well of course there is, Prim. You can have lists and just go to stores get what you need, watch prices and all that. But that's totally wrong! The right way is to just go and browse, try things on, buy whatever you like, then get the right accessories and buy all that you like and not care about how long you've taken or how much it costs." Glimmer smiles at me.

"Glimmer, most people can't spend all day shopping and they certainly can't afford it."

"Yeah yeah, yeah. It sucks to be most people, but we aren't most people, Prim. I'm a Victor and you're a relative of a Victor. We could do this every day and still never run out of money. And like you said, it's Saturday, so you have a day to waste. So relax and enjoy"

"Well, um, I guess so…" Wait, what's Glimmer doing? Oh, those are nice shoes… They're a lot closer to what Glimmer would wear than what I've ever done, but wait, are they in my size? Maybe I could just try them on…

"You know Prim, if acting totally irresponsible is too much for you still, how about I buy?"

"Well they do look really nice…" Maybe letting her have her way on this one isn't so bad.

**Madge**

Haymitch and my father are really panicking. Apparently, whatever rebellion plans they had are in disarray now. Not that they tell me anything, but I overhear plenty. Like for instance the Quarter Quell plans are a disaster for the rebellion. It seems like quite a few Victors are rebels (hardly a surprise) and now there's going to be a whole lot less of them.

I don't need to listen in to secret plans to know that the Quell card targets a few people, namely Katniss and Glimmer. After their Tour, I'm not entirely surprised. After all, there were major riots in 11 and a nationwide power outage that lasted nearly a full day when they visited 5. Neither one made the news of course (everyone was told the power outage was a minor local issue) but I saw the real news reports.

The terrorist strike on the Capitol apparently wasn't part of the plan either, which honestly is a bit surprising. It's not often that things happen that the rebellion doesn't know about, but this was a total shock to them. It's pretty amazing really; someone managed to plan and execute a massive attack on the Capitol that absolutely no one saw coming; not Snow, not Haymitch and not my father.

It seems like some really bad stuff happened during that attack too, because my father and Haymitch were discussing it forever. I'd love to know what, but there's no way either of them will tell me. Unless I can somehow get it out of Katniss or Glimmer I might never find out.

Glimmer apparently is an unexpected thing too. Namely, the fact she's here in 12 and seems to be staying. They seem rather nervous about what she might do here, so they've asked me to well, frankly to spy on her and Katniss. My father and Haymitch called it keeping an eye on them and letting them know if Katniss or Glimmer are going to do anything troublesome, but let's face it, it's spying.

Spying is something I'm not thrilled about. I can see why they'd ask me to do it, I'm one of Katniss' only friends, I'm over at the house fairly often anyway, and I tend to blend into the background, but I don't like it. I don't like spying on friends, and really, I don't like blending into the background.

Being nearly invisible and totally inoffensive is a skill that's gotten me through life, but I'm tired of it. Being as important as your average piece of furniture is no way to be. I'm not sure how, but I have to do something different. I'm just not willing to go through the rest of my life like this.

Maybe spending time with Katniss and Glimmer will help me find some change I can make. It's a happy coincidence I'm supposed to be with them, and that's where I'm going now.

I come across Glimmer walking with Prim, apparently on the way back from town. It's odd seeing them together; in a lot of ways they look more like sisters than Prim and Katniss do. Both are blonde, and while Katniss lived a lean Seam life, she always made sure Prim never when hungry. Especially in the past year, the effects on Prim are really showing. She's gotten taller and she's started to develop as she goes through puberty. It's not hard to look at Prim and see the beautiful woman she'll be in just a few more years.

"Hi." I wave to them. "What are you two up to?"

"Shopping." Prim waves back to me.

"Shopping? What, you two didn't get anything?" Glimmer and Prim are strolling along, not carrying a single thing.

"As if. Glimmer bought half the district." Prim rolls her eyes.

"I seem to recall you getting just a few things." Glimmer comments dryly.

"You twisted my arm! It would have been rude not to say yes!"

"Oh yeah, I totally forced you to squeal and jump around and say how hot this looked or how cute or how perfect it'd be with just the right accessories." Judging by Prim's blush Glimmer hit the mark there.

"So where's all the stuff you bought then?" I ask.

"Glimmer bought way more than we could carry, so she had to pay the stores to deliver it all."

"Hey, I'm used to having a car! It's not my fault no one's bothered to pave the roads out here."

"So now I'm gonna be stuck at home accepting deliveries all day." Prim complains.

"You mean sitting on the couch playing video games and having to actually pause the game and walk a few steps to answer the door?"

"Well I didn't want to say it quite like that." Yep, Prim's busted again.

"Actually Madge, it's good we ran into you." Glimmer looks at me.

"Why's that?" I ask.

"I need to talk to Gale Hawthorne, but I have no idea where to find him."

"Why ask me? Why not try his house?"

"Well see, I don't actually know where he lives." Glimmer says a bit awkwardly.

"Ah, ok, well that's no problem; it's just a short walk." Really, though, everything's a short walk in 12; it's just plain not that big.

"Great." Glimmer smiles at me. "Prim, you going to be ok on your own?"

"Of course." Prim rolls her eyes. "I'm not a kid you know."

"I know. This shouldn't take long, so I should be home soon." Glimmer's learned to think of Katniss' house as her home fast apparently.

"Is this about last night?" Prim asks. I don't really have to ask what happened last night. I know Gale was hurt in the mine accident and I can imagine Katniss wasn't thrilled when she came home and found out.

Glimmer hesitates. "Partly."

"Don't be too hard on him, ok? He's just trying to do what he thinks is best. And besides, he and Katniss go way back."

"Geez Prim, it's not like I'm going to beat him up or anything."

Prim doesn't look entirely convinced. "Well ok then. I'll see you at home." Prim waves and heads off towards Victor's Village.

"Do I really look like I'm going to just beat people up?" Glimmer asks me.

"Um, well, maybe just a little?" I laugh awkwardly.

**Katniss**

I'm finally wandering home. It's not that I had some magical revelation or anything; I actually didn't bring anything to eat and now I'm hungry. Stupid Victor's lifestyle making me grumpy if I miss a meal.

I walk into my house and almost trip over a pile of boxes right away. "What the heck?" I ask out loud. There's boxes everywhere. What, did all of the stores in town suddenly start using my house as a warehouse or something? "Prim! What's going on here?"

"Katniss, that you?" Prim yells from somewhere upstairs. "I'll be right down!" She better have some good answers about all this. This is more than I had gotten from town my entire life before I was reaped.

I finally hear Prim coming down the stairs. Good, I'll get some answers and we can see about cleaning this mess up. My mom's out seeing patients but she'll throw a fit if she sees the living room like this.

I look over at Prim and nearly have a heart attack. She's in a sky blue dress, form fitting and showing off a fair bit of cleavage (it wasn't long ago she didn't have any to show off at all!) and it's cut short, way above her knees. To top it off she has on matching heels (which aren't as high as Glimmer wears but still more than I'd like) a, gold necklace and a pair of earrings. On another girl, even though it shows off her curves it'd be a tasteful, descent outfit, but this is Prim for god's sake!

"P…Prim!" I gasp out.

"You like it, Katniss?" She smiles and twirls around, showing off her new outfit.

"What the heck is that Prim?"

"It's a dress, Katniss. It's new; you like it?"

"Where the heck did you get that thing?"

"In town today; Glimmer and I went shopping." Glimmer! I should have known! She's the one that did this to Prim! She turned my innocent little sister into a Mini Glimmer!

"Where is she?" I ask, trying to hide the venom.

"Oh relax Katniss, this is no big deal. Besides, she isn't here; she'll be back later."

"But what if someone sees you in that Prim!"

"That's sort of the point of wearing something like this, Katniss: for people to see and for me to enjoy the reactions. Yours certainly has been funny." She giggles at me.

"Primrose Everdeen! This is no joke!" From her giggling, I'm guessing she doesn't believe me.

**Glimmer**

The Hawthorne house looks a bit run down. But then all of 12 looks run down to me; by the local standards, it actually isn't bad at all. It makes me wonder what Katniss' old house looks like. I'll have to get someone to show it to me sometime. I doubt it'll be today though; there's more important things to do now.

I ditched Madge once we got to the Hawthorne house. Well, I was nice about it, told her I had something personal to talk to Gale about, but let's face it, I ditched her. It's nothing personal, really. The girl's got some sort of angle or something; I can tell she's out of her comfort zone somehow, but I just plain don't have the time to figure it out today.

I walk up to the house and knock on the door. (There's no doorbell to ring.) It takes a few moments before the door opens. There's a kid who looks like a miniature Gale standing there, staring slack jawed up at me.

"Hi, I'm looking for Gale Hawthorne. Is he around?"

"Um…" He's seems to be stuck on the staring part of this and can't get to the actual talking.

"Is this the Hawthorne residence?" And I get more staring. Couldn't get a kid who isn't just learning he likes girls; just my luck.

"Rory, who's that the door?" asks a voice from inside. Thankfully it sounds like this kid's mom. I see her coming to the door. She's an older woman who looks pleasant enough, though her body clearly shows signs of having lived a hard life. Par for the course in 12.

She looks me over quickly, doing a pretty good job of hiding her surprise. I've gotten used to that reaction from pretty much everyone in 12. "Hello, I'm Hazelle." she introduces herself. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Glimmer. I'm looking for Gale Hawthorne. Is he around?"

"He's inside." She looks down at the Mini Gale. "Rory, go get your brother, please." Ok, so now he has a name. That's almost like progress. He finally stops staring at me and goes back inside.

"What do you need with Gale, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I just need to talk to him."

"I see. May I ask what about?" She's trying to keep it light, but it's obvious there's suspicion there.

"That's um, a bit of an awkward question." Yep, I'm adding to the suspicion here. "I'm not really allowed to say."

She gives me a disapproving look. I can't blame her; I'm basically justifying all the suspicion she has of a strange, famous girl from 1 just randomly showing up at her door.

Gale picks that moment to come to the door. Lucky me, I get to go from an awkward conversation with his mom to what will probably be a very nasty conversation with him. He gives me a rather cold look. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk."

"I don't need you meddling in an argument Katniss and I are having."

"Yes you do." We're at unpleasant now, next stop: nasty.

"We've gotten along just fine for years without you, we'll keep managing just fine without you getting involved, thanks."

"Yeah, maybe, but we still need to talk."

"So talk." he frowns.

"Not here; in private."

He stares at me for a while, like some sort of childish contest. "Fine." he groans after a while. "I'll be back in a little while, Ma."

He walks out of the house and starts down the road, not bothering to see if I'm following or not (I am). We walk down the road wordlessly, quickly getting away from the houses and to a meadow along the district's outer fence.

Suddenly Gale stops and turns around, facing me. "Look, I'm sure you mean well. And I know you've helped Katniss out a lot, and I appreciate it, really I do, but this is between her and I, so leave it alone, all right? This is an argument we've been having for a long time and you aren't going to magically swoop in and fix it, so just go home already. Actually wait, why aren't you at your home? You live in 1, not here."

"Katniss invited me to stay here, so I am."

"Isn't that illegal?"

I shrug. "Nobody's arrested me so far."

"Cute. So we done here?"

"Not even close."

"Ugh, women. You just live to meddle, don't you?" He rolls his eyes. "Fine, give me your big speech about how I'm not understanding and need to listen to other people's feelings and all that crap and let's get this over with."

Ok, that's it, time for a new approach. While he's babbling he doesn't see my fist until it's already connected with his jaw. Lucky for him I didn't hit him that hard, just enough to make a point.

"What the fuck was that?" he demands, holding his jaw where he just got hit.

"You were babbling on about feelings; so how do you feel now?"

He looks at me and after a moment breaks out laughing. "All right, all right, I'll play along. What's on your mind?"

"We need to talk about the Quarter Quell."

"The Quell? What the hell is there to talk about there?"

"I know who three of the tributes are going to be."

"Three? What the fuck?" I can see him thinking, trying to work it out.

"That's right. One is a close friend of yours and the other two are nineteen years old."

He stares at me. "Oh mother fucker. Are you fucking serious?"

I nod. "I may be famous for a lot of jokes at Katniss' expense, but I would never joke about this."

"Are you sure? I mean, could you be wrong?"

"Snow told us himself. He wouldn't lie; he loves using the truth as a weapon."

"Oh fuck me. What the hell did I ever do to that stupid son of a bitch?"

"Well Katniss has told me some of the things you've said about him…"

"Hey, I didn't say any of that shit where he could hear!"

I smile. I know I said I wouldn't joke about this, but Gale just left me such a huge opening there. "I know. Actually, it has nothing to do with you; you're just collateral damage."

"What the fuck's that supposed to mean?"

"Snow's targeting Katniss and I. You're just involved because it gets to her. I doubt Snow cares about you at all."

"I should have talked about him where he could hear then." Gale mutters. "Wait, if I'm a tribute that means I get to be on TV and can say whatever the fuck I want!"

"That's a bad idea, Gale."

"Why? What the fuck are they going to do? They already plan to kill me."

"You have family."

"Oh fuck!" Gale almost yells. "The whole fucking nation nation's going to be watching me, listening to what I have to say and I can't say what I really want to?"

"Well, you can, but there's a price. Same as Katniss and I; we can do lots, if we're willing to watch people we're close to die."

"Son of a bitch. Telling Snow to eat a dick isn't worth Rory or Ma's life." Well he's certainly right, but I can't deny indulging in a fantasy of picturing Gale says exactly that in his interview. It would be the shortest, yet most memorable interview I've ever seen.

Gale looks me in the eye, his posture stiffening, almost a combat stance. "So why are you telling me this? This some plan to fuck with my head? Psyche me out and make me an easy target or some shit like that?"

"Oh I absolutely have a plan I'm working here, just not the one you think." I'm making sure to not match his combat stance. The last thing I want here is a fight; Gale's too important to what I have in mind to make an enemy of.

"So what the fuck plan are you working, Career girl?" It's amazing how much Gale swears when he's both angry and away from Katniss.

"I'm guessing there's a few woodworkers here in 12?"

"Woodworkers? What the hell?"

"Yes, woodworkers. You know, people who carve wood. The stuff trees are made of?"

"I know what wood is!"

"Then you can find someone to make all of this?" I take out a piece of paper with a few notes I made earlier and hand it to him.

Gale looks it over, his combativeness changing to confusion. "What do you want all of this for?"

"It's like you said, I'm a Career girl."

"There's no way you could use this much though."

"You're right; it's not just for me."

Gale looks me over, like he's trying to reassess me. "Will they really let us do that?"

"Of course; other districts do it. It's playing along with the system, and it'll make a better show. As long as we don't rub it in the Peacekeeper's faces they'll let it go."

"So just like our hunting; we keep the right people happy and they let it go."

"That's right." I nod.

He looks down at the list again. "There's a lot here; it'll take a while to get it all made."

"We don't have the time to wait. It doesn't matter what it'll cost, but I need it the day after tomorrow."

"Well if you're willing to throw enough money around I can make it happen. It'd be better if you let me pay them rather than doing it directly though."

"That's fine, as long as it gets done."

"All right, I'll take care of it." Gale nods, turning to walk away.

"There's one other thing, Gale."

He stops and looks back. "What's that?"

"You're done being a miner."

"This again? I get enough of this from Katniss."

"This isn't a debate, Hawthorne. You've got more important things to do than work in a damned hole all day long. Now I don't care if it's you take Katniss' money or mine but you're done being a miner. You work for me now."

"Lucky me." He groans.

"Hey, if you think you can do better without me go for it."

Gale looks at me and frowns. "You must be loving this; just come in and we all have to do what you say and become what we've hated all our lives."

"Do I look like I'm smiling? Do I look like I'm having fun? Do I look like I want to go into another arena? Do you really think I want to have anything to do with the Capitol ever again? I want to just be left alone, but since I don't see anyone offering that, I'm going to do what gives me the best chance to survive. Katniss told me that's a common theme here in 12."

Ever since I went back to 1 as a Victor I've led a pretty boring life. Most days I literally wouldn't speak until after lunch when I talked to Katniss on the phone. Now it seems like I'm juggling drama constantly. I did it in the Academy all the time; living a role that isn't you will do that you, of course. But until now I didn't realize how much I was glad to be done with that sort of thing. This is just plain not that fun.

I give Gale a last look. "We're starting tomorrow morning, right after breakfast at Katniss' house. Make sure you're there. We'll make do without all the stuff on that list for a day."

And with that I head back to Katniss' house; it's not a long walk. (In a district too small for proper roads it's not possible for anything to be much of a long walk) I guess this is my home now, maybe for the rest of my life. I know eventually the Peacekeepers will haul me back to 1, for the reaping if nothing more, but it's possible I'll be able to stay here for most of the time until then.

I walk inside and find Madge looking through all the stuff I bought earlier. "Ah good, it's all here." I smile.

"You!" I hear Katniss yell, storming in from the kitchen. Oh great, more drama. Isn't it enough already?

"Yep, It's me."

"What the heck did you do, Glimmer?"

"I'm going to need a bit of a hint what you mean, Katniss." I'm starting to wonder if living alone has any actual downsides.

"Prim! I'm talking about Prim! Have you seen her?"

"Yes, I saw her earlier today; we went shopping together."

"I know you did! And I saw what you got her!"

"Yeah, I got her some stuff, so what?"

"Have you seen how she looks? That's my sister you know!"

"So that's why you two have the same last name, I was wondering about that." I'd forgotten how tiresome dealing with people could get sometimes.

Thankfully Prim takes this opportunity to come into the room. "Oh Katniss, relax already." Prim's wearing a blue dress I got her. It actually looks really nice on her. It shows her off without being stupidly over the top or inappropriate for a girl her age.

Katniss gives Prim a firm look, or at least she tries to. I don't think Katniss is very capable of being mad at her little sister. I guess that makes me the outlet. Oh joy. "Ugh, my head hurts way too much for this. Katniss, we've got things to do tomorrow morning, so don't disappear again please."

I turn and walk back out the door. I don't have anywhere to go but I'll be damned if I'm going to stay there and get yelled at because Katniss can't handle the fact her little sister is growing up.

I have nowhere in particular to go, so I wander around District 12's Victor's Village. It's a pretty strange place, really. Every district had a Victor's Village built with 12 houses constructed. In 1 it's basically full, but 12's is a ghost town. There's only been three victors from 12, and one of them is long dead, so that means ten empty houses. Haymitch's house is occupied, but I think it'd be better off deserted. The lawn is overgrown, the paint on the building is faded and peeling and in general it looks tired and dilapidated.

I pick a random empty Victor's house and walk up to porch, sitting down on one of the chairs there. The house may have never had anyone live in it, but all the Victor's houses were built and furnished years ago, just waiting for someone to earn the right to move in. I may not be from 12, but I am a Victor, so as far as I'm concerned that's good enough. This chair was put here for a Victor to use, after all.

I'm only here a few minutes before I see Madge walking up the front walk and onto the porch. She sits down on one of the chairs next to me. "Not eager for a fight? That's unusual for a Career girl." It sounds like an insult, but the way she says it I don't think it's meant to be; more of a joke almost.

"Yeah well I just got done arguing with Gale Hawthorne."

"How'd that go?"

"Not bad. I only had to hit him once."

She stops and looks at me. "You hit Gale?"

"Yeah, punched him in the face."

"Seriously? Wow. There's not many people in 12 who pick a fight with Gale, and I don't think any girls have ever tried."

"I wasn't picking a fight; more like getting his attention."

"How'd he take it?"

"He was pretty shocked, but I think he knew I wasn't seriously trying to fight him."

"How'd he know that?"

"Because I didn't hit him that hard."

"So what were you talking to him about?" Hmm, I need to think of how to answer that. Maybe say I was playing peacemaker for Katniss? Not really the truth, but Gale will be taking money rather than working in the mines so the results might look like I was there to do that.

"You know, you might not know this since I'm sure the Victor's Village in 1 is pretty full, but they don't actually turn on the bugs in these houses until someone wins the Games and will be coming to live here." Wait, what? She doesn't just know these houses are bugged; she's making sure I know she knows? What's her deal here?

"All right, you've got my attention."

"I'm not playing any game here and I don't want anything, so don't worry, Glimmer."

"So why tell me something like that? It's not the sort of information people just share."

"To show you could trust me." Yeah, maybe that's why, but it's not all of why. The girl's got a lot more to her than she lets on, even more than she's showing me now.

"And why do you care if I trust you or not?"

"Because I know what it's like to be alone, and because you looked like you could use a friend."

"What is this, pity?"

"No, not pity. Just a friendly gesture."

"Question remains: why?"

She looks at me for a moment before answering. "I've heard you didn't have much for friends in the Academy. Well I didn't in school either. Just Katniss really, and since it's her, we didn't talk much. I know what's it's like to want to talk but not have anyone there. And really I'm tired of just being some useless wallflower that no one even notices is there. People don't even realize I'm around before talking half the time, but so what? If I never say anything, what's it matter what I hear? I'm tired of it. I don't want to just be there anymore. I want a life that means more."

So there's the truth; the girl's fed up with her life. Well ok, I can deal with that. If she knows about the bugs and when they're turned on I'm sure she knows a lot more, but there's no rush to get at that. The fact she told me does show some trust, and she's obviously hoping I do the same. Yeah, I think I can do that.

"All right, I'll tell you what Gale and I talked about."

**Author's Notes:**

Like always, thanks to my friend JB for help with grammar edits. If anyone has comments critiques or reviews I'd love to hear from you, so feel free to PM me or leave a review. (It wouldn't be a fanfic if the author didn't go asking for reviews.) Thanks for reading.


	12. Always, Always Have a Plan

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

**Katniss**

When Glimmer finally came back last night we didn't talk too much. We ate, we played some video games, but we didn't say too much. I was pretty upset about Prim (she's still my little duck after all) but it seemed like Glimmer had a lot on her mind too.

Today I'm at breakfast, eating with Glimmer like requested. Fortunately Prim's back to dressing like normal, so it's easier to forget her little shopping trip with Glimmer. Glimmer's still being quiet, and I'm not really sure why. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually. It's not like I'm eager to talk to her about her feelings or anything like that.

Her feelings may be her business, but whatever plans she has that require me here are mine. "So what do you need me here for?"

"You'll see after breakfast."

"Why the big mystery?"

She stops eating and looks at me. "You want the real reason?"

I'm tempted to give some rude answer, but the fact she asked me is weird. Glimmer's been upfront with me ever since we teamed up in the arena. The fact she'd consider anything else isn't good. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Maybe, maybe not. When you see more definitely not."

"If I'm going to hate all this then why are you doing it?"

"Because I don't see how I really have much choice. And because in the end it'll be for all our own good."

"Glimmer, what did you do?" I ask guardedly.

Rather than getting an answer out of Glimmer I hear the front door open and Gale yell "Hello?"

"We're in the kitchen, Gale!" Glimmer yells back to him. What she doesn't do is answer my question.

Gale comes into the kitchen just as Glimmer finishes eating. "Morning Gale. Grab some breakfast if you're hungry. I'll be back in a minute and then we can get started." She smiles and gets up, heading out of the kitchen, presumably up to her room.

"Morning, catnip." Gale greets me, grabbing a piece of bacon off my plate.

"Um, morning, Gale. I um, I can't go hunting with you today, sorry; Glimmer has something planned she made me agree to do with her."

"I know; that's why I'm here."

"She made you agree to whatever this is too?"

"Yep." Gale nods, munching the bacon he stole, going back for more.

"So what exactly does she have us doing today?"

"Actually, I have no idea. She just said to be here."

"And you agreed?" I ask, shocked.

"Well she um, she can be very convincing." Gale chuckles awkwardly. Yeah, he's got that one right. The girl has a way of getting what she wants.

Glimmer picks that moment to come back into the kitchen, having taken the time to change clothes. She's dressed in this tiny outfit made out of some sort of stretchy fabric consisting of a hot pink top that's barely more than a bra and skin tight black shorts and a small music player strapped to her arm (I only know what it is because Prim got one not long after we moved into this house.). She poses in the doorway. "So, what do you think?"

Gale and I stare; we don't seem to be able to do anything else. I knew she was physically fit and attractive and all that, but I've never actually looked, and certainly not stared at her when she's wearing next to nothing like this.

The girl is amazing; she's in sickeningly good shape, perfect muscle tone, perfect curves, perfect, well, everything. God this girl looks amazing. I've never looked at girls like that, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't blushing like mad.

"God damn…" Gale mutters, obviously as impressed as I am.

"Ah, you two like it?" Glimmer grins. Yeah, like that's an open question. "All right come on; it's time to go."

Glimmer heads for the front door. Gale and I look at each other. "Jesus, catnip. That's one hell of a girl you partnered with." he says, shaking his head.

"She likes to make an entrance, but she usually isn't so blatant about aiming the sex appeal at me." I say following Glimmer outside. Geez that girl is something else when she turns it on like that.

We find Glimmer outside, and surprisingly Madge. "Morning Madge. What are you doing here so early?" I ask. That's the second time today someone's shown up unexpectedly (at least for me) and I just got done eating breakfast.

"Morning. I thought I'd join you all today." Madge smiles at me. Maybe it's just me, but I think Madge actually looks a bit nervous. I'm not sure why. Maybe because of how Glimmer's dressed? Girls compete on appearance and things like that, right?

"You want to join in? Interesting." Glimmer comments. Madge stands, watching Glimmer, not saying a word. "You know what you're getting in for?" Glimmer asks.

"I do." Madge nods. Wait a minute, why does Madge know but Gale and I don't? No fair!

"All right; keep up then." Glimmer turns to the rest of us. "We're going for a run."

"Where are we running to?" Gale asks.

"Nowhere in particular; we're just running."

"Then what the hell is the point?"

"To get into shape."

"You don't think I'm already in shape from working in the mines?" Gale demands.

"Well if you are then this should be easy." Glimmer says with a smile that looks a bit too cheerful. Yeah, that's usually not good for whoever she smiles at like that.

Glimmer puts the music player's ear buds into her ears, turns it on and takes off in a fast jog. Gale, Madge and I go after her, matching pace.

**Gale**

Glimmer is now officially my most hated Career of all time. I swear the damned girl doesn't get tired. Seriously, what the hell kind of person can just run and run and run without getting tired? We must have gone three miles by now and we haven't even stopped to rest.

The worst part is I can't even complain. Firstly it'd mean admitting a girl can beat me (not gonna happen), and secondly she has the damned music player things in her ears so she wouldn't hear me anyway. Besides, if I mention how sore I am catnip will be all over me about deserving it for getting in an accident at the mines.

Katniss and Madge aren't having much fun either. Why would they? Katniss doesn't have anywhere she ever has to run to, and Madge, well I'm not sure I've ever seen her run; I don't think she plays sports after school even though she could afford the fees to join a team.

So yeah, this sucks. Katniss and I look at each other and I can tell we're both getting close to really desperate. Whether Glimmer likes it or not we're going to stop soon. That or collapse on the ground.

Glimmer stops at the top of a small rise ahead (thank god.) I stagger the last few steps to catch up before practically falling to the ground, struggling to catch my breath. Katniss lands next to me and even Madge makes a less than graceful sight lying on her back nearby, panting.

The evil blonde witch is just standing there watching us. She pulls one of those music things out of her ear and asks "How are you three doing?" She isn't even breathing hard.

"How the hell does it look like we're doing?" I ask.

"We're just a little bit… tired." Madge pants.

"Tired?" Glimmer blinks, trying to not look smug. "We've only gone three miles. We still have two more to go." Five miles? God damn.

"Glimmer, that's five miles!" Katniss complains.

"Hmm, why yes, I believe it is, Katniss." Glimmer smiles sweetly. I truly hate that girl right now.

"Do you actually do five mile runs regularly?" Madge asks, still laid out on the ground.

"Well, I have to confess, no, I don't usually do them." So the blonde devil's doing this just to fuck with us?

"My daily workouts are usually in the eight to twelve mile range." Oh fuck me. That's ten miles a day on average? And I don't think she's lying or fucking with us this time.

"Why the hell are we running this far anyway? What the fuck's the point?" I demand. Just seeing her in that tiny outfit was enough to prove to me she's in amazing shape; this all better not be just to prove what I could already see.

"The point is that we need to be able to do this."

"Why?' I ask.

"Because, Gale, we'll have to on the first day. We'll need to clear the Cornucopia and make good distance to be able to set up any sort of a safe camp. To do that we need to be able to cover quite a few miles at a good pace, basically a brisk jog like we've been doing today." So she's already planning for the Games. I'm not sure if that's impressive or scary.

"So this is for the Games?" Katniss asks.

"That's right." Glimmer nods. "We'll be practicing three distances actually. This one, a quarter mile distance where we'll actually be running and a fifty yard all out sprint."

"What are the other two for?" I wonder out loud.

"The quarter mile is if we're being chased. I figure by a quarter mile we'll have either found a place to hide, picked a place to make a stand or been caught."

"And the fifty yards?"

"Starting pad to the Cornucopia." Katniss states; Glimmer nods to her.

"So it's not just to show off?" Madge asks. Wait a minute? Madge? I totally forgot she's here. Now I know I'm going to the Games, Katniss knows she's going and Glimmer knows she's going, but what the heck is Madge here for? She's not going anywhere. And for that matter why doesn't she seem at all surprised that we're talking about the Games like they're an absolute certainty for our future?

"Well not just to show off, no; but a girl always has to look her best, so that means showing off should be part of daily life." This girl has some fucked up priorities. "So you all ready to go? We have more than just this planned for today." More? Damned blonde witch.

She turns and starts down the path we were on, suddenly breaking into a run for a few paces before she jumps and does a flip in mid air over a log, landing cleanly and continuing on like nothing happened. Oh holy fuck.

**Katniss**

I've never been so exhausted in my life. Glimmer's told me about her workouts and it sounded impressive, but to actually live this small slice of it is just inhuman. I never really thought about if I was in shape or not, but since I hunt pretty much every day with Gale I assumed we weren't bad off. It sure feels like we were lying to ourselves now. I can only imagine how Madge must feel.

I was surprised she came and actually stayed the whole time; Glimmer seemed a bit surprised too, but isn't making any effort to chase her off. Madge gets broken just as much as the rest of us. And just like the rest of us, she's collapsed on the chairs and couches of my living room. I don't think I've ever appreciated before this just how comfortable they are and just how glad I am for that fact.

"Shame you don't have a pool." Glimmer comments. "Swimming's great exercise."

"Geez Glimmer, again with the pool?" I grumble.

"What can I say, I love swimming, and I miss having a pool. And going around your district just reminds me how different it is from mine. 12's a weird place."

"Too backwater for you?" Gale asks. From his tone it's pretty clear running five miles has him in a bad mood.

"Well the whole no roads thing is weird, but what I meant really was the people. Everyone just seemed to be milling around, all restless and stuff. What's up with that?" Glimmer meets Gale's annoyance with her blonde voice.

"It's the weekend still: Sunday. People don't work Sundays. Besides, the mines are still closed; people have nowhere to go to work even if it was a weekday."

"But shouldn't they be relaxing and stuff like that then? I mean, time off, that's like a vacation? Why just hang around looking unhappy?"

"Because, Glimmer, no work at the mines means no job; no money. So they're wandering around wondering how the hell to feed their families." Gale snaps.

"Hmm, you don't say." Glimmer sounds almost bored. "You know what else is weird? I didn't see any construction equipment. No excavators or bulldozers or things like that."

"Yeah, backwater hicks, we suck and you're great. Blah, blah, blah."

Glimmer looks me right in the eye. "Without any heavy equipment you'd have to dig a pool by hand. You'd have to employ a small army to get it done."

Wait, was this her plan all along? To string Gale along (and probably have fun annoying him) all to get her pool, and a big work project for a bunch of people in the district in the process? I have to admit, I'm impressed; it's a really good plan.

"My pool's fifty yards long, twenty five wide, and eleven feet deep at the deep end, about four and a half at the shallow end. Plus it's not worth doing without a nice pool house, maybe two bathrooms, a pair of changing rooms and a nice common area… Then you can have a seating area around a nice fire pit somewhere too!" Glimmer's getting real excited now.

"Glimmer that sounds great and all, but no one in 12 knows how to build a pool like that." I sigh.

"So call Cinna. I'm sure the Capitol has plans; I got mine built, they can use the same plans. Cinna can order any of the materials we can't get here in 12 too. Besides, it'd be good to talk to him and make sure he came out of the bombing ok and all, right?"

It's kind of scary how well thought out this is. Is this what she was thinking about while we were running? Did she come up with this even before that? I look over at Gale and he looks surprised as well. Neither of us seems able to come up with a reason to shoot this down. "You know, that's actually not a bad idea. I think I'll go call Cinna and get things going."

"Of course it's not a bad idea, Katniss. You should always listen to me; I'm always right after all." Glimmer beams as she gets her way yet again, but I'm too tired to argue (and I have a sneaking suspicion if she started going over the past it'd back up her claim.) so I slowly get up and walk over to the kitchen phone.

I pick up the phone and dial Cinna's number (about the only phone number I bothered to get for my public phone line.) It rings several times and I start to get worried. We didn't see Cinna at the Victor's Day banquet; I have no idea if he was there, if he was in the explosion or if he got away. I haven't watched TV to see if there's a list of the dead or even a death toll.

It's six rings before someone picks up on the other end. "Hello?" Cinna says.

"Ah, Cinna, hi, it's Katniss."

"Ah, hello, Katniss. I hope you and Glimmer made it out of the Capitol all right."

"Yeah, when things started exploding Glimmer, Haymitch and I ran for the train."

"Cashmere wasn't so lucky however." He knows about Cashmere? Well ok, it was out of the blasts so I'm sure her body was found. "So unlucky, a piece of flying shrapnel to the heart. Tragic."

"Shrapnel eh?"

"Ah yes, hadn't you heard? It's all over the TV."

"Actually, I haven't watched a ton of TV since I got back, Cinna. What are they saying?"

"Well they're still piecing it all together, but it seems to have been a plot carried out by avoxes."

"Avoxes?"

"That's correct. The official in charge of the avox program has disappeared, so they're searching for him now. No one is sure if he's the mastermind or if he stumbled on to the plot."

"Wow, I would have never suspected the avoxes."

"No one did. Though it does make sense in a way; they're practically invisible to Capitolites, and are everywhere. It makes them perfect to carry something like this out."

"So is everyone there freaking out that their servants may turn on them?"

"Yes, very much so. Many avoxes have been disposed of entirely. The rest are being carefully watched. But so much in the Capitol needs doing, and without avoxes, it simply won't get done, and there are no suitable replacements for all of it. So except for the odd job like vacuuming that a robot can do, most people are forced to make do with avoxes, despite the threat."

"It never occurred to them to clean their own houses? Cook their own food?"

"Katniss, you've seen the Capitol." Cinna chuckles. "You know that most people here wouldn't have the first clue how to do any of that, even if it did occur to them to try."

"So what, they just live in terror of their servants now?"

"In effect, yes. Since no one knows how widespread this conspiracy is, and the Capitol cannot function without avoxes people are forced to live in fear."

Wow, Gale will love hearing this. The terror, the threat of a death you can do nothing about, that's been a fact of life here in 12 since the Dark Days. It's just something we've gotten used to. But the Capitol never felt any of that until now. "That's got to be quite a change."

"Yes, I've never seen the Capitol like this. Fear in the streets, people hurrying about, no sense of leisure or relaxation. I never thought I'd live to see the Capitol like this. It is truly amazing."

"What about you, Cinna? You didn't get hurt in all that or anything did you?"

"I was not in attendance at that banquet, Katniss, so I'm quite all right, thank you." Well that's good. I feel kind of bad I didn't call to ask sooner; I'm not really used to having people to check up on like that. "So, what can I do for you today, Katniss? While I do appreciate your concern for my well being, I'm sure there's another reason for your call today."

He sees through me as much as Glimmer does. Am I that transparent to everyone? "Um, yeah. Actually I'm calling about a pool."

"A pool?"

"Yeah, Glimmer's been on me to get one and, well, she's sort of finally talked me into it."

"Yes, that girl does have a way of getting what she wants."

"Um, yeah, she does. So I kind of need plans and materials and stuff. She told me it's supposed to be like fifty yards long and twenty five wide and all that. There's plenty of people who can dig a big hole here in 12, but beyond that I don't really know what to do."

"Yes, I think I can be of assistance." Cinna chuckles. "It will take several days to lay my hands on it all and get it on a train to 12. I imagine a week, perhaps two before you get it all."

"Ok, sounds great, Cinna. Thanks."

**Madge**

I don't think Gale knows what to make of Glimmer's plan; I know I don't. Was she just looking for a way to get the pool she wanted, or was the part about employing dozens of people from 12 who are desperate for work one of her goals all along? I can't tell where her ditzy blonde act stops and the girl starts.

It's sort of like Haymitch. Seeing him around the district, you'd think he's just the town drunk, a used up husk of a man who wastes what life he has left with an endless drunken stupor. But I've seen him talking to my father when no one else is looking; I know the drunkenness is partly an act.

I suppose I'm not much different in a way. Haymitch plays the drunk, Glimmer plays the ditzy blonde and I play, well, the girl who stands out as much as a piece of furniture. Haymitch always seems to have some angle for a rebellion (if one ever actually starts) in mind, Glimmer obviously has plans at work too; this morning's run is proof of that. It wasn't just to show off (though that flip over a log certainly was meant to show off); today is clearly the start of her training for the Quell as well.

It was also the day I decided to try and change my lot in life. I've always wanted to do more than just be in the background, wanted to be more like Katniss and Gale, able to go out in the woods and do what it takes, but that just hasn't been me. I never found a way to ask Katniss to take me out into the wood with her, so when I heard what Glimmer was planning I figured it was the perfect chance for me too.

I don't know what I want to do, but I figured if I hang out with people likely to make a difference, the ones really able to things, maybe I'd start to be like and I could do something important too. That all sounded good right up until about mile two of this morning's run; now there's nothing but exhaustion.

The only reason I'm not thinking of giving up is because Gale and Katniss look just as tired as I am. I've looked at them as two of the toughest, most resilient people in 12 for most of my life, and if they're just as beat as I am then there might still be hope for this plan and I.

"So Undersee." Gale breaks the silence. "Why you doing this?" Gale's back to using my last name. I guess that's his suspicious side trying to distance.

"Because I want to."

"Cute, but Glimmer pulls off those flippant bullshit responses a lot better than you. So what's the deal here?"

"All right, the deal is I'm tired of being about as relevant as a piece of furniture."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm tired of being a useless decoration." Gale stares at me cluelessly. Fine, apparently I have to spell it out for him. "Gale, do you think anything I've done has really mattered? I do good at school, but so what? I don't really care enough about politics to go into it like my dad, and there's nothing else my grades matter for. I don't need to work, my dad makes enough as mayor that I can just live with him forever. I don't actually **do** anything. If I just up and disappeared it wouldn't even make much difference. I never played sports, I never had much for friends, I haven't done anything. My life's been totally meaningless and I'm tired of it."

"And running your ass off somehow makes all that better?"

"You don't get it, Gale. You and Katniss have made a difference and done important things all your lives. Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to be able to go out in the woods and hunt like you do? To you it's nothing, just another afternoon, but to me it's something I've never been able to do but always wanted to."

"Why didn't you ever say anything, Madge?" Katniss must have come back in the middle of all that.

"How could I? When you went out to feed your family asking to go along wouldn't have been fair."

"But Madge, I haven't needed to hunt to feed anyone for half a year now."

"Katniss, we don't talk that much anymore. With you not at school the only times we see each other is if I'm over here to play video games. Besides, it's illegal being out there, it's not the sort of thing you just come out and ask."

"Not unless you actually want to get something done." Gale mutters.

Maybe he's right, who knows. I know he'd have just come out and asked, but, well, I'm not Gale. For me it was too bold a step. Even just showing up for Glimmer's torturous training was a big thing for me. I guess that's sort of the point though; to do things I never would have been, to try and become someone that isn't just taking up space.

"So I guess you're sticking around for the after lunch stuff?" Glimmer asks.

"Wait, after lunch? You mean there's more of that shit? Because no fucking way I'm running another five miles." Gale complains.

"Oh don't worry, Gale. After lunch you're actually going to be teaching us, not me."

"What the hell am I supposed to teach?"

"Two things. When I was here at the start of the Tour, you complained I was too loud in the woods. I said no one had ever taught me to move silently, but thinking about it, I really wish they had. So you're going to."

"And the second thing?"

"I watched you and Katniss; you two seem to be able to talk without words. Like more than just a nod and stuff; real conversations. You're going to teach that too."

Gale looks at Katniss. They're obviously doing that talking thing Glimmer mentioned. I've never seen it before, but it's fascinating to see. It seems to be a complex set of facial expressions, a few movements of the head and a lot of focus on the eyes. I'm not sure if it's just slow or if they're taking a lot; I suspect the latter. This seems to be something very personal to Gale and Katniss, and sharing it a rather large invasion of privacy.

"Look you two." Glimmer interrupts. "I'm not sure what the hold up here is, but this is a no brainer. If we can all talk while staying silent it's a huge advantage. Moving like a ghost doesn't much matter if the other guy already heard our entire plan."

"Yeah, I know Glimmer, but you've got to understand, this is a real personal thing between Gale and I." Katniss tries explaining.

"Katniss, you know that personal things like that are a luxury no one can have in the Games."

"I know but…"

"Katniss, we need this. If we're going to make a try of it as a team and actually use stealth and ambushes, you and Gale have to teach this. I see that it's an intrusion, but there's no other way this strategy can work and I just don't see any other strategies we can use. We're going to be outnumbered; going toe to toe with the Career pack is suicide; we have to use stealth."

"Fine." Gale growls. "Just another thing the damned Capitol is taking from me." I look at Katniss and Glimmer quickly; they both have the same fearful expression on their faces. No one's told Gale about the microphones.

Katniss gives Gale a look, obviously trying to use their secret language to tell him what's going on, but it doesn't seem to be working. Apparently they never invented a look for warning of hidden Capitol listening devices.

"Gale, please. This isn't the time or the place." Katniss pleads. Apparently he gets the message and shuts up. He doesn't look happy about it, but at least he isn't saying anything that would make problems.

We eat lunch and head out for the woods. Katniss has told me about where she and Gale get under the fence but I've never actually been there; I was always worried if someone saw me there it might draw unwanted attention to the area.

It's nothing special to look at; just a weather worn rut under the fence. No magical gateway, just a gully that one Peacekeeper with a wheelbarrow full of dirt could seal up. Katniss and Gale stop and listen to the fence for a moment before nodding and rolling under the metal wire barrier. Glimmer and I follow (though Glimmer's the only one to make a point of brushing the dirt off herself.)

Katniss and Gale lead us into the woods for a few minutes, stopping in a flower filled clearing with a large rock in the center. "This is where catnip and I usually meet up." Gale announces.

"All right, it should work for us like that too." Glimmer nods. Gale and Katniss don't seem entirely comfortable with that, but make no protest.

"Is there anything dangerous out here?" I ask.

"Shouldn't be anything too bad." Gale answers. "Now and then get a few wild dogs, things like that, but no real major predators. Don't go wandering off alone though, just the same. You and Glimmer should stick with Katniss or I until you really learn your way around out here."

I look back the way we came and instantly see what he means. We only walked a minute or two from the fence, but already there's nothing bur forest that I can see. No houses, no people, no fence, no sign of the district at all. Gale and Katniss probably can smell cooking fires and tell from how thick the trees are packed there's civilization around (or not, I could be making that all up; it's my first time ever being outside the fence) but it feels to me like civilization might as well be a thousand miles away.

It's a bit frightening, being cut off, but there's a large part of me that's feeling a huge thrill as well. If a Peacekeeper were to find me here, I'd be charged with poaching on Capitol lands, a death penalty offense. In their eyes it's as if I committed murder. The fact I'm a mayor's daughter might get my sentence reduced, maybe even commuted entirely, but they also might take my status as worthy of using to make an example of me; show even people born to the right sorts can't get away with breaking the law.

It's pretty thrilling for me, really. It may not be overthrowing the Capitol or even rebelling in any way that actually means much, but I'm actually doing something now. It's not just reading illegal books; my crimes are crimes of action now.

Gale starts teaching us how to move silently. What sort of sounds different types of ground will make, what's good to step on and what's not, how to walk silently. What part of your foot to have hit the ground first, how to transfer your weight and a lot of other things. It's a lot to remember, but I'm sure it'll make more sense when I actually try it.

This is going to be fun. I'm glad I got in on this.

**Author's Notes:**

Once again, thanks to my friend JB for help with grammar edits. I'd love to hear reviews, comments or critiques. As always, thanks for reading.

And now, one response to a review with no account here (so I can't reply directly.)

that personthere: Thanks for your review of I Am Not a Victim. I thought I'd reply here. I wish you'd get an account so I could send a proper response though.

I'm glad you liked the story, and I really appreciate the long, detailed review. There's a lot there I'd love to reply to, but I'll just hit a few high points here. Rue is one of those things that every Hunger Games story has and since I never planned for her to be a major part of the story it was hard to do a lot with her that hadn't been done in much more length and depth elsewhere. Basically she existed to make Katniss hurt, sad as that may be. Finch was more of a blank slate, so it was a lot easier to work with her. I'm surprised you didn't like Gale as much. It's a bit of a hard story for him, all he does is sit and watch. In this one where he plays a much more central role I'm hopeful he can work better. As for a relationship, while I had first planned it as Gale and Katniss the Katniss and Glimmer parts worked better than I expected and the response was a lot more than I thought it'd be, so at this point I'm not committing to either pairing as a final outcome.


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